PILLAR I: Advanced Human Immune Model Systems: Engineering Physiology and Therapy Development
- Focus: Engineering the most advanced human organ model systems with immune competency to explore physiology, understand disease mechanisms, and develop novel therapies through addressing safety, pharmacology, and efficacy.
- Innovations: We’re leaders in creating nature-inspired technology and turning research into real-world solutions, using top-notch tools like biobanking, growing mini-organs, high-tech microscopes, spatial biology, and data analysis to make therapy development more accurate and far-reaching. Proof-of-concept demonstrations for drug development applications, delivering ready-to-use assays.
PILLAR II: Immune-Therapeutics: Modulation and Control
- Focus: Developing advanced biomaterials and immunotherapies that precisely regulate immune responses, unlocking next-generation treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and regenerative therapies.
- Innovations: We’re driving innovation by creating smart materials and therapies that can target tumors with pinpoint accuracy, combat emerging pathogens, restore balance in autoimmune conditions, and promote tissue regeneration—offering hope for more effective and personalized solutions. With Georgia Tech’s world-class leadership in nanotechnology, delivery systems, and tissue engineering, we’re uniquely positioned to turn these bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs, transforming lives through cutting-edge science and engineering.
PILLAR III: Immuno-Profiling: Sensing, Imaging, and Assays
- Focus: Developing advanced tools to measure and visualize immune activity across scales, targeting the unique cellular signatures of diseases like cancer, aging, autoimmunity, infections, and inflammation to pioneer cutting-edge bioengineered sensors. Our vision is to transform healthcare by creating solutions such as a multi-cancer early detection test that catches tumors at their smallest, most treatable stages; sensors to monitor immune decline in aging for timely interventions; diagnostics to pinpoint autoimmune triggers; rapid detection systems for infections; and profiling tools to track inflammation’s role in disease—all empowering clinicians with actionable insights.
- Innovations: We’re fueling this mission with innovations like disease-specific sensors, spatial multiomics, microfluidics, and imaging, which together reveal a comprehensive view of immune and cellular dynamics. Partnering with Atlanta-area hospitals, we’re testing these tools in real-world conditions to ensure they deliver practical, life-changing results across these critical health challenges.
PILLAR IV: AI/ML Modeling and Systems Immunology
- Focus: Harnesses the power of AI/ML and computational tools to unravel the complexities of immune behavior and forecast how it responds to diseases like cancer, aging, autoimmunity, infections, and inflammation.
- Innovations: By leveraging our strengths in high-throughput data analysis and high-performance computing, we’re building sophisticated predictive models that act like a crystal ball for the immune system, revealing how it will react to treatments before they’re even tested. This work speeds up the development of new therapies by pinpointing what’s likely to work best, saving time and lives. Whether it’s predicting cancer immunotherapy success, understanding immune decline in aging, calming autoimmune flare-ups, fighting infections, or controlling inflammation, our models provide a roadmap to smarter, faster, and more effective solutions, solidifying our role as innovators in precision medicine.
Georgia Tech’s unique advantages—leadership in nanotechnology, tissue engineering, and data analytics, combined with partnerships with Atlanta’s top hospitals—ensure that our innovations move swiftly from lab to bedside. By investing in this vision, endowment funds will empower us to train the next generation of immunoengineering leaders, forge industry collaborations, and deliver tangible outcomes: longer lives, stronger immunity, and a healthier world. Together, we can turn bold ideas into enduring breakthroughs.