2026 BWF BioInterfaces Rising Star Awardee

Congratulations to Marshall Padilla, PhD, for winning the 2026 BWF BioInterfaces Rising Star Award!

Dr. Marshall Padilla earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he developed new hydrophobic biomaterials for nanoemulsion-based drug delivery systems. Currently, Dr. Padilla is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, under the mentorship of Professor Mike Mitchell. His research focuses on the structure–function relationships of mRNA lipid nanoparticles, combining the synthesis of novel lipid architectures with advanced biophysical characterization to engineer next-generation therapeutics. As a recipient of an NIDCR T90 fellowship, Dr. Padilla is applying these lipid nanoparticle technologies to develop new interventions for oral cancer therapy.

Check out his video presentation "From Molecular Synthesis to Supramolecular Structure: Deciphering the Activity of RNA Lipid Nanoparticles" here