EVCNA Expert Interview Series XV - Dr. Inge Zuhorn
On December 15, 2023, the Editorial Office of Extracellular Vesicles and Circulating Nucleic Acids (EVCNA) conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Inge Zuhorn to discuss her research focus and perspectives on the application of Extracellular Vesicles in Drug Delivery. Dr. Inge Zuhorn, a professor at the Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology (BBT), also serves as the educational director of the Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment (MMIT) MSc Programme of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, Netherlands. During the interview, Dr. Inge Zuhorn shared her research journey, ongoing projects, and thoughts on the impact of EV heterogeneity on therapeutic applications. In addition, she outlined her future research plans and goals and offered several helpful suggestions for female researchers embarking on their careers in this field.
Watch the following video for expert insights from Dr. Inge Zuhorn:
Interview Questions:
Q1: We have noticed that your research mainly focuses on targeted drug delivery using nanomedicine. Could you please share with us when you first began to pay attention to extracellular vesicles (EVs) and how you integrated them into your research?
Q2: Could you please provide a detailed introduction to your current main research work and ongoing projects?
Q3: EVs display a natural homing and targeting capacity, along with the potential to deliver cargo molecules into cells, thereby providing a unique platform for the delivery of therapeutic agents to even hard-to-reach organs such as the brain. However, the composition of EVs is heterogeneous, which can impact their overall functionality and may also trigger undesirable side effects. In your opinion, what will be the main focus of future research to address this challenge?
Q4: What are your main research goals for the next five years?
Q5: As we all know, the number of female scientists is still much smaller than that of male scientists, and the challenges faced by women in research are often greater. As one of the outstanding women scientists in your field, what advice or experience would you like to share with young women who are just beginning their scientific careers?
About Dr. Inge Zuhorn:
Dr. Inge Zuhorn, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Dr. Inge Zuhorn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and serves as the Educational Director of the Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment (MMIT) MSc Programme at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Her research focuses on the development of nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery. Her team rationally designs nanomedicine by studying nanoparticle--cell interactions, with applications in brain-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
Editor: Yan Lei
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Extracellular Vesicles and Circulating Nucleic Acids
