Biomechanics Seminar Series: Forrest Kievit

About this event

The focus of the seminar series is to call for experts related to academia and research in the areas related to biomechanics, variability, motor disorders, physical therapy, and related studies.

Presentation Title : Nanoparticles for Delivery to and Treatment of Neurological Disorders

Presentation Abstract :

Brain delivery of therapeutics is significantly hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that prevents the passive accumulation of materials in the brain. Nanoparticle (NP) delivery systems have been shown to improve brain accumulation and retention when there is severe disruption of the BBB such as in traumatic brain injury or brain cancer; however, delivery is limited as the BBB refortifies. The goal of the Kievit Lab is to use nanoparticles both as a tool to better understand how to improve delivery into the brain as well as a delivery vehicle to promote improved therapeutic target engagement. To do this, we draw upon our expertise in materials science and imaging to develop nanomaterials and imaging methods that can be used to better monitor delivery and correlate with outcome. Testing in mouse models of disease, we have found improved recovery in traumatic brain injury and improved delivery specifically into diseased brain regions through active targeting of ectopic tight junction protein expression at the BBB.

About the speaker :

Forrest Kievit earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Washington, followed by postdoctoral and research faculty positions in the UW Department of Neurological Surgery and the Center for Integrative Brain Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. He joined the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2016 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. Supported by the NIH, USDA, and foundation grants, his group engineers targeted and antioxidant nanotheranostics for neurological disorders, focusing on blood–brain barrier transport, glioblastoma, and mitigating secondary injury after traumatic brain injury in preclinical models. Reflecting his commitment to rigorous preclinical modeling and translational innovation, he chairs the UNL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, holds multiple patents, and was inducted as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors in 2026.