Assistant Professor Yamuna Phal receives $1 million NSF grant to advance pharmaceutical research

Yamuna Phal, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has secured a $1 million Partnerships for Innovation-Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her team’s groundbreaking research that aims to develop innovative imaging technology to analyze how chiral drugs interact with biological tissues, a critical step in improving the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals.

Chirality is a crucial concept in pharmaceuticals, where molecules come in pairs that often have different geometries and have differing effects on people. Phal’s research seeks to address a significant gap in current analytical tools, enhancing their safety and efficacy.

“Most analytical chemistry instruments used to isolate the two forms of drugs are limited to spectroscopy and cannot perform imaging,” Phal explained. “Our goal is to develop a device that combines both, enabling detailed visualization of drug interactions within tissue environments.”

Phal’s co-PIs include Mines professors of physics Patrice Genevet and Jeff Squier, as well as co-PI Rina Dukor, CEO and co-founder of BioTools, a leading life-science tools company specializing in chiral molecule analysis. BioTools will play a crucial role in translating the research findings into practical applications.

Phal credits Mines’ collaborative culture and strong institutional support for her success. 

“The support I have received since joining Mines in 2023 has been incredible. Faculty accessibility, support and interdisciplinary collaboration have been key to advancing this success,” she said. “The mentorship and support from the Electrical Engineering Department have been especially invaluable.”

The NSF PFI-RP program supports projects requiring complex technology development and fosters partnerships between academic researchers and external organizations. This grant will not only advance technology but also cultivate the next generation of STEM entrepreneurs.

“The broader impacts of this work extend beyond technology development,” Phal emphasized. “We aim to educate and empower the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, equipping them to lead advancements in STEM fields.”

Phal will be integrating this research into her teaching, including a new graduate course related to digital imaging. Through Mines’ Shared Instrumentation Facility, her students were able to tour the instruments and resources available to them at Mines. One of Phal’s PhD students, Michael Le, will lead development in terms of designing the optical system for the project, aligning with his entrepreneurial aspirations.

This research promises to transform pharmaceutical development by enabling more detailed analysis of drug-tissue interactions, ultimately leading to safer and more effective treatments.