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We engineer nanoparticles for safe, effective, and targeted drug delivery to advance maternal and fetal health. We study barriers to vaginal drug delivery— bacteria, mucus, and host epithelial defenses— and are particularly interested in bacterial extracellular vesicles as naturally-derived nanocarriers in the female reproductive tract.

The vaginal epithelium (top cell layers) protects against pathogens and supports a dynamic microbiome. Source: Jose Calvo, Science Photo Library
Lactobacillus crispatus, a bacterial species associated with vaginal health, ubiquitously produces nano-sized extracellular vesicles for intercellular communication. Source: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-024-00502-y