Xiuling Lu, a professor of pharmaceutics and associate director of the Kildsig Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research (CPRR), has received the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) Women of Innovation Award for Research Innovation and Leadership. This honor highlights Lu’s contributions to the fields of nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery, and translational research.
The Women of Innovation Awards recognize visionary women leading Connecticut’s technology community, honoring achievements in research, education, and leadership. Lu was recognized for her pioneering work in drug delivery mechanisms and clinical translation for treating cancer.
“I am truly honored to receive the Women of Innovation Research Innovation and Leadership award,” Lu says. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. José Manautou for his nomination. I am deeply appreciative of my university, colleagues, lab members, family and friends for their invaluable support. This recognition means a great deal to me and reinforces my passion for leveraging my background in biochemical engineering and pharmaceutical science to tackle challenging diseases. Inspired by the outstanding mentors and role models I’ve had, I am committed to train the next generation of STEM researchers to reach their fullest potential.”
José Manautou, head of the department of pharmaceutical sciences, nominated Lu for the statewide award. Out of nearly 100 nominees, Lu advanced to a pool of 45 finalists (including 11 UConn researchers) and then joined 10 category winners. She tied with fellow UConn faculty member Zongjie Wang as a winner of the Research Innovation and Leadership category.
“Xiuling Lu exemplifies the spirit of innovation and mentorship that defines our school and institution,” says Manautou. “Her groundbreaking work in nanoparticle-based therapeutics not only advances treatment possibilities for difficult-to-treat cancers but also inspires a new generation of researchers. Her dedication to scientific discovery and her commitment to empowering students through hands-on mentorship make her a deserving recipient of the CT Women of Innovation Award.”
CPRR, the industry/university research center of which Lu is associate director, works to develop new technologies for pharmaceutical processing, supporting collaborative research projects between industrial and academic scientists.
In her own lab, Lu’s research interests include formulation development and assessment, nanoparticle-based drug delivery platforms for improving therapeutic indices of anti-cancer agents, image-guided drug delivery for optimizing cancer diagnosis and therapy, and neutron-activatable nanoparticles for radionuclide therapy.
A passionate advocate for advancing STEM education and fostering a supportive research environment, Lu is also a celebrated mentor to young scientists and engineers at UConn. She was instrumental in developing and directing the School of Pharmacy’s Student Educational Assistance (SEA) Program, which enables student peers to provide learning assistance to fellow students within their own class year. She has also served as faculty advisor for the UConn student chapter of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).
Lu’s leadership and commitment to community engagement continue to inspire the next generation of innovators and strengthen Connecticut’s position as a hub for scientific excellence.
