1. Home
  2. Person Directory

Aliasger Salem, PhD

Lyle and Sharon Bighley Endowed Chair & Professor / Associate Vice President for Research

Introduction

Dr. Salem's research expertise is in drug discovery, development, formulation and delivery. Dr. Salem applies this expertise to developing therapies for regenerative medicine, cancer and other diseases.

Current Positions

  • Associate Vice President for Research, University of Iowa
  • Lyle and Sharon Bighley Chair and Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa
  • Board of Directors, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (2023 - 2025)
  • Co-Director, Nanotoxicology Core, Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa
  • Licensed for Drug Handling, Iowa Pharmacy Association and Drug Enforcement Agency
  • Professor, Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa
  • Professor, Biomedical Engineering (BME), College of Engineering, University of Iowa
  • Professor, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (CBE), College of Engineering, University of Iowa
  • Professor, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
  • Professor, Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa

Education

  • Applied Chemistry, Aston University, United Kingdom
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

Selected Awards & Honors

  • Regents Award for Faculty Excellence, Iowa Board of Regents
  • The Power List 2024, The Medicine Maker
  • Elected Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
  • Elected Executive Board Member, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  • Elected Fellow, Controlled Release Society
  • First Place Prize ($25,000) for Petrost Therapeutics, University of Iowa Innovation Challenge
  • Louis W. Busse Lecturer, University of Wisconsin
  • Start-Up Technology Company of the Year Award to S5G Therapeutics, 2022 Prometheus Awards Competition, Technology Association of Iowa
  • First Place Prize ($25,000) for S5G Therapeutics, University of Iowa Innovation Challenge
  • Certificate of Distinction, Student Supervisor of the Year Award, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa

Professional Memberships

  • Full Member of Sigma XI
  • Full Member and Graduate of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Member and Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
  • Member and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Member and Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
  • Board Member and Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
  • Member and Fellow of the Controlled Release Society (CRS)
  • Member of the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association
  • Member of the Materials Research Society (MRS)
  • Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

Research Interests

  • Nanotechnology
  • Biodegradable Polymers
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Vaccines
  • Nanoparticles
  • Lab on a Chip
  • Nanotoxicity
  • Microfabrication
  • Targeted Drug Delivery
  • Polymer Synthesis

Selected Publications

  • A. Hlas, V. Ganesh, J. Marks, R. He, A.K. Salem, J.A. Buckwalter, K.R. Duchman, K. Shin, J.A. Martin, D. Seol Buffering Mitigates Chondrocyte Oxidative Stress, Metabolic Dysfunction, and Death Induced by Normal Saline: Formulation of a Novel Arthroscopic Irrigant. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024.
  • D.S. Nakhla, A.I. Mekkawy, Y.W. Naguib, A.D. Silva, D. Gao, J.A. Kim, S.O. Alhaj-Suliman, T.M. Acri, S. Ernst, D.A. Stoltz, M.J. Welsh, A.K. Salem. Injectable long-acting ivacaftor-loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) microparticle formulations for the treatment of cystic fibrosis: in vitro characterization and in vivo pharmacokinetics in mice. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2024. [CA]
  • K. Atluri, J.A. Banas, J.L. Chakka, G. Avila-Ortiz S. Elangovan, A.K. Salem. Metronidazole loaded chitosan coatings as dental implants.  Emergent Materials. 2024. [CA]
  • A.K. Salem. Recent Advances in Drug Delivery. The AAPS Journal. 2024. [CA]
  • M. Hassert, L.L. Pewe, R. He, M. Heidarian, P. Phruttiwanichakun, S. Van de Wall, M.R. Mix, A.K. Salem, V.P. Badovinac, and J.T. Harty. Regenerating murine memory CD8+ lung tissue resident memory T cells after targeted radiation exposure. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2024.
  • A.J. Scholp, J.A. Jensen, T.P. Fowler, E. Petersen, D.Fredericks, A.K. Salem, D. Seol, M. Coleman, S.P. Lake, J.A. Martin, E.A. Sander. Capsule Release Surgery Temporarily Reduces Contracture in a Rat Elbow Model of Arthrofibrosis. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2024.
  • S. Saha, J.M. Skeie, G.A. Schmidt, T. Eggleston, H. Shevalye, C.S. Sales, P. Phruttiwanichakun, A. Dusane, M.G. Field, T.A. Rinkoski, M.P. Fautsch, K.H. Baratz, M. Roy, A.S. Jun, A.K. Salem*, and M.A. Greiner*. TCF4 trinucleotide repeat expansions and UV irradiation are associated with ferroptosis susceptibility in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Redox Biology. 2024. [CA]
  • Petronek, M. S., Teferi, N., Caster, J. M., Stolwijk, J. M., Zaher, A., Buatti, J. M., Hasan, D., Wafa, E. I., Salem, A. K., Gillan, E. G., St – Aubin, J. J., Buettner, G. R., Spitz, D. R., Magnotta, V. A. & Allen, B. G. (2023). Magnetite nanoparticles as a kinetically favorable source of iron to enhance GBM response to chemoradiosensitization with pharmacological ascorbate. Redox Biology 62. DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102651.
  • Ellis, A. A., Geary, S. M. & Salem, A. K. (2023). Heterologous prime-boost vaccine using antigen-loaded microparticles and adenovirus (encoding antigen) enhances cellular immune responses and antitumor activity. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 638. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122932.
  • Tambunlertchai, S., Geary, S. M., Naguib, Y. W. & Salem, A. K. (2023). Investigating silver nanoparticles and resiquimod as a local melanoma treatment. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS 183 1-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.12.011.