Chemical Engineering student wins first place during OSU Research Symposium

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Rachel Davis, Oklahoma State University undergraduate student in chemical engineering – pre-medical option with minor in music, placed first for undergraduate students in the biomedical science division for her oral presentation during the OSU Research Symposium.

Davis is a W.W. Allen Scholar, Niblack Research Scholar and National Merit Scholar. She was honored as an OSU Top Twenty Freshmen Woman and is actively involved in Student Government Association (SGA), where she works with the SGA treasurer to keep accurate and up-to-date monetary records. Davis is also involved in CEAT Student Council as a “cheap lunch” committee head and helps to run the program, which is a weekly service provided to CEAT students.

Davis is developing a target drug-delivery system, which would provide a non-invasive option for treatment of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and eye diseases that affect at least 9,000,000 Americans. Surgery and other invasive processes are the current treatment options for patients with these conditions.

The purpose of her study is to investigate the interaction between a novel drug delivery system and corneal epithelial cell layer.  This system is made of nanoparticles imbedded into a collagen membrane.  This system could eventually be mounted onto a contact lens and worn by a patient to receive continuous drug delivered to the eye.  This device, if it comes to fruition, could reduce the need for invasive methods of treating diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Davis’ role in this project is creating and testing the nanoparticles and membranes, as well as helping to measure the release of drug through the cell layer.