Diane Burgess, PhD, is one of the most active researchers in UConn’s School of Pharmacy. Take a peek inside her labs and learn more about her accomplishments as a globally recognized researcher, experienced collaborator, and dedicated educator.<\/p>\n
Burgess doesn\u2019t have one lab in the UConn School of Pharmacy\u2014she has four.<\/p>\n
The space she has been afforded over her 25 years at the university reflects the growth of her impact as an accomplished member of UConn\u2019s pharmaceutical sciences faculty.<\/p>\n
Burgess\u2019 research interests are in pharmaceutical processing, drug delivery systems and performance testing methods, implantable biosensors for glucose monitoring for diabetic patients and intracellular trafficking of gene therapeutics and delivery systems using quantum dots.<\/p>\n
Being an active researcher with such a diverse set of interests implies, even requires, seeking out collaborators with different skills, according to Burgess.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I came to UConn, collaboration between researchers was sort of frowned upon, but that has never really been my preferred approach,\u201d explains Burgess. \u201cI\u2019ve always liked applying my knowledge to different fields and types of problems. Working with researchers who have different backgrounds and strengths means we can really make a difference and find creative solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
A review of Burgess\u2019 past and ongoing collaborations underscores this focus on interdisciplinary partnerships.<\/p>\n
In one ongoing project, Burgess is working with UConn chemists and engineers to develop miniature glucose biosensors that can transmit readings to any personal digital accessory, such as a smartphone or personal computer. This technology is being commercialized by a UConn-affiliated startup, Biorasis<\/a>, that is housed at UConn\u2019s Technology Incubation Program<\/a> and was a recent winner of the prestigious MassChallenge startup competition.<\/p>\n In addition to her longstanding partnership with Biorasis founders and fellow UConn faculty, Burgess has also teamed up with researchers from UConn Health to address critical, unmet clinical needs. Beginning in late 2015, Burgess and Dr. Rajesh Lalla, associate professor of oral health and diagnostic sciences, started developing a novel, long-acting, topical anesthetic product for treatment of oral mucositis. Oral mucositis is a painful side effect of chemotherapy and radiation, which negatively impacts thousands of patients and currently has no effective treatment. Their proposed solution, an innovative long-acting oral spray formulation, could potentially result in better local pain management, reduced need for systemic opioids, improved quality of life, and lower cost of care.<\/p>\n \u201cThis type of problem is not impossible to solve if we bring together the right experts,\u201d says Burgess. \u201cPotentially fixing a problem that is causing people to suffer is really meaningful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n This has been a common trend in Burgess\u2019 career: responding to pain points experienced by patients, fellow researchers, or industry partners. Another ongoing project with assistant research professor and former graduate student in Burgess\u2019 lab, Antonio Costa, aims to develop a continuous manufacturing platform for complex parenteral drug products to avoid the risks of batch manufacturing, reduce manufacturing facility footprint, and ensure product quality and supply to patients at reduced cost. The team has participated in Accelerate UConn<\/a>, the university\u2019s National Science Foundation I-Corps Site, to commercialize the product. Funding for the original research that led to this novel platform came from a $3 million grant from the Food & Drug Administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are truly fortunate to count Diane as a member of our faculty,\u201d says Jos\u00e9 Manautou, PhD, department head of pharmaceutical sciences and professor of pharmacology and toxicology. \u201cDiane has this unique ability to attract and train extraordinary people. Many of her past trainees hold key positions as scientists in the private, public, and government sectors. Her innovative multidisciplinary scholarly work and substantial service contribution to the global scientific community have brought a great deal of recognition to UConn and to our School of Pharmacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout her career, Burgess has been recognized by her peers for her contribution to the field of pharmaceutical sciences, including being the youngest researcher ever elected American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS<\/a>) president in 2002. The AAPS is a global organization with members from related fields of pharmacy study, as well as scientists from complementary disciplines, like chemistry, biology, engineering, and medicine involved in the discovery, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical products and therapies.<\/p>\n