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Sam Lai

Sam Lai, PhD, is a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member researching immunology, infectious disease, nanotechnology, biomaterials, biophysics, bioengineering and modeling.

PhD
Professor, Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics, and Immunology
School of Pharmacy
UNC-Chapel Hill
Molecular Therapeutics

Area of Interest

Research in the Lai Lab laboratory is at the interface of immunology, infectious disease, nanotechnology, biomaterials, biophysics, bioengineering and modeling.

We are currently working in several areas:

  1. Engineering antibodies for a variety of mucosal applications, including antibodies for respiratory infections and non-hormonal contraception
  2. Elucidating and developing methods to overcome immune response (e.g. anti-drug antibodies) against nanomaterials
  3. Engineering bispecific antibodies tuning the tumor microenvironment
  4. Engineering viral vectors for in vivo immune cell engineering
  5. Engineering phage vectors for modulating microbiome in situ
  6. Computational modeling and artificial intelligence

We are the first group to demonstrate that antibodies can trap both viral and bacterial pathogens in mucus via interactions between mucins and Fc domains on antibodies. We are part of a consortium that advanced the very first anti-sperm antibody for non-hormonal contraception into clinical trial. Our effort in engineering “muco-trapping antibodies” has led to a Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering, a NSF CAREER Award.

Technologies developed by Lai and colleagues have resulted in multiple FDA-approved drugs and formed the basis of multiple publicly traded companies. Spinoffs from research at UNC include Inhalon Biopharma, a clinical stage startup focused on respiratory infections; Mucommune, a startup focused on female reproductive health; and Polyon, a startup focused on overcome anti-drug antibodies. Several of the lab inventions are slated to enter the clinic in 2023-2026.

Find publications on PubMed

Awards and Honors

  • Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering, 2013
  • IBM Junior Faculty Development Award, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 2013
  • CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2012
  • New Faculty Research Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 2010
  • 2nd Place, AIChE Graduate Student Award (Bionanotechnology), 2008
  • Croucher Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008-2009
  • Predoctoral Fellowship, Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada, 2005-2007