CV
Katarina Edwards is Professor in Physical Chemistry at the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden. She conducted her undergraduate studies at Uppsala University and the University of Sussex, and obtained a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1986. She performed her graduate research at the Department of Physical Chemistry, Uppsala University, under the mentorship of Professor Mats Almgren. Following receipt of her Ph.D. degree in 1991 she received a position as Assistant Professor. In 1992 she obtained an NFR post doctoral fellowship from the Swedish Research Council for the Natural Sciences and spent one year in Professor W. H. Sawyer’s lab at the Russell Grimwade School of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Australia. After returning to Uppsala University she received a Junior Individual Grant from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research and set up an independent research group. She became Associate Professor in 1996 and was shortly thereafter appointed Senior Lecturer. She was promoted to Full Professor in spring 2001.
Katarina Edwards research focuses on structure, dynamics and phase behaviour in aqueous lipid/surfactant systems. In the early 90’s she introduced cryo-transmission electron microscopy to Sweden and now heads an electron microscopy unit that is internationally well renowned for its work concerning structural characterization of micelles, liposomes and related self-associated structures. Apart from her fundamentally oriented studies, Katarina Edwards conducts research of more applied character. Work in this area is centred on the development of liposomes and related lipid structures for use as drug delivery vehicles and as model membranes. As an example, she is one of the inventors of a novel liposome-based concept, involving a unique two-step targeting principle, for specific delivery of radionuclides to the DNA in tumour cells. Initial investigations suggest that the concept has high potential for the treatment of spread tumour disease, and a company, Nuclisome AB, was recently founded on basis of the promising research results.
Soft lipid surfaces
Development of tailored membrane discs for drug and biomolecular analysis, separation and delivery
The project aims to develop homogenous and highly stable membrane discs built from customized lipid mixtures. Several biotechnical, analytical and pharmaceutical applications are envisioned for the disks, which due to their non-closed structure, adjustable size and good stability are expected to offer important advantages over related lipid-based particles, such as liposomes. Within the frames of the project nanosized lipid particles, stabilized into a disk-shape by selected interface-active components, will be produced by means of different preparation methods. Different approaches, focused primarily on the use of novel, specially designed and synthesised, lipid building blocks, will be investigated in order to optimize the properties and broaden the applications for the discs.
Selected Publications
- C. Nilsson, K. Edwards, J. Eriksson, S.W. Larsen, J. Ostergaard, C. Larsen, A. Urtti, A. Yaghmur: Characterization of Oil-Free and Oil-Loaded Liquid-Crystalline Particles Stabilized by Negatively Charged Stabilizer Citrem. Langmuir, 2012; http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la3021244
- L. Gedda, A. Fondell, H. Lundqvist, J.W. Park, K. Edwards: Experimental Radionuclide Therapy of HER2-Expressing Xenografts Using Two-Step Targeting Nuclisome Particles. J Nucl Med, 2012; 53 (3) : 480-487. http://dx.doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.111.096891
