Ting-Yu Shih, PhD

Biography

Dr. Ting–Yu (Ting) Shih research interests center on using biomaterials and drug delivery strategies for precision medicine to improve patients’ quality of life. Currently, Dr. Shih is working on improving the safety and efficacy of cancer treatments by biomaterials-based targeted therapies. He received his Ph.D. degree in Engineering Sciences – Bioengineering from Harvard University, under the mentorship of Professor David Mooney, and designed hydrogels for cancer vaccination and other biomedical applications. He received his B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering and M.S. degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he developed nanoparticles to improve drug delivery to the brain under the mentorship of Professor Justin Hanes. He was awarded an International Lung Cancer Foundation Fellowship Grant in 2023 to develop a lung cancer-targeting therapy.

Research

Materials-directed cell therapy and immunotherapy
Targeted drug delivery systems
Biomaterials-based RNA vaccines and therapies
Hydrogels and nanoparticles

Education

Post-doctoral Fellow, Boston University 2019-2024
Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences (Bioengineering), Harvard University, 2012-2018
M.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 2010-2012
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 2006-2009

Selected Publications

  1. McGee JE*, Kirsch JR*, Kenney D, Cerbo F, Chavez EC, Shih T-Y, Douam F, Wong WW, Grinstaff MW. Complete substitution with modified nucleotides in self-amplifying RNA suppresses the interferon response and increases potency. Nature Biotechnol (2024).
  2. Najibi AJ, Shih T-Y, Zhang DK, Lou J, Sobral MC, Wang H, Dellacherie MO, Adu-Berchi K, Mooney DJ. Targeting tumor extracellular matrix activates the tumor-draining lymph nodes. Cancer Immunol Immunother, 1-12 (2022).
  3. Najibi AJ, Dellacherie MO, Shih T-Y, Li, WA, Doherty ED, White DA, Bauleth-Ramos T, Stafford AG, Weaver JC, Pezone M, Mooney DJ, Gu L. Scaffold vaccines for generating robust and tunable antibody responses. Adv Functional Mater, 32(16):2110905 (2022).
  4. Najibi AJ*, Shih T-Y*, Mooney DJ. Cryogel vaccines effectively induce immune responses independent of proximity to the draining lymph nodes. Biomaterials, 281:121329 (2022).
  5. Shih T-Y, Najibi AJ, Bartlett A, Li WA, Mooney DJ. Ultrasound-triggered release reveals optimal timing of CpG-ODN delivery from a cryogel cancer vaccine. Biomaterials, 279:121240 (2021).
  6. Li Y, Mao A, Seo BR, Zhao X, Gupta SK, Chen M, Han Y, Shih T-Y, Mooney D, Guo M. Generation of the compression-induced dedifferentiated adipocytes (CiDAs) using hypertonic medium. Bio Protoc, 11(4):e3920 (2021).
  7. Shah NJ, Najibi AJ, Shih T-Y, Mao AS, Sharda A, Scadden DT, Mooney DJ. A biomaterial-based vaccine eliciting durable tumour-specific responses against acute myeloid leukaemia. Nat Biomed Eng, 4(1):40-51 (2020)
  8. Tellechea A, Nagai M, Bai S, Koerner S, Shih T-Y, Panagiotidou S, Dangwal S, Eschuk D, Zheng Y, Pradhan-Nabzdyk L, Sun L, Mooney DJ, Theoharides T, Bhasin M, Veves A. Topical application of a mast cell stabilizer improves impaired diabetic wound healing. J Invest Dermatol, 140(4)901-911.e11 (2020).
  9. Li Y, Mao A, Seo BR, Zhao X, Gupta SK, Chen M, Han Y, Shih T-Y, Mooney D, Guo M. Compression induced dedifferentiation of adipocytes promotes tumor progression. Sci Adv, 6(4):eaax5611 (2020).
  10. Bauleth-Ramos T, Shih T-Y, Shahbazi M, Najibi AJ, Mao AS, Liu D, Granja P, Santos HA, Sarmento B, Mooney DJ. Acetalated dextran nanoparticles loaded into an injectable alginate cryogel for combined chemotherapy and cancer vaccination. Adv Func Mater, 29(35):1903686 (2019)
  11. Huynh C, Shih T-Y, Mammoo A, Samant A, Pathan S, Nelson DW, Ferran C, Mooney D, LoGerfo F, Pradhan-Nabzdyk L. Delivery of targeted gene therapies using a hybrid cryogel-coated prosthetic vascular graft. PeerJ, 7:e7377 (2019).
  12. Kwee BJ, Seo BR, Najibi AJ, Li AW, Shih T-Y, White D, Mooney DJ. Treating ischemia via recruitment of antigen-specific T cells. Sci Adv, 5(7):eaav6313 (2019).
  13. Shah NJ, Mao AS, Shih T-Y, Kerr MD, Sharda A, Raimondo TM, Weaver JC, Vrbanac VD, Deruaz M, Tager AM, Mooney DJ, Scadden DT. An injectable bone marrow-like scaffold enhances T cell immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Nat Biotechnol, 37(3): 203-302 (2019).
  14. Shih T-Y, Blacklow S, Li AW, Bencherif SA, Koshy ST, Darnell MC, Mooney DJ. Injectable, tough alginate cryogels as cancer vaccines. Adv Healthcare Mater, 7(10):e1701469 (2018).
  15. Li AW, Sobral M, Badrinath S, Choi Y, Graveline A, Stafford A, Weaver J, Dellacherie MO, Shih T-Y, Ali O, Kim J, Wucherpfennig K, Mooney DJ. A facile approach to enhance antigen response for personalized cancer vaccination. Nat Mater, 17(6):528-534 (2018).
  16. Cheng L*, Ji K*, Shih T-Y, Haddad A, Giatsidis G, Mooney DJ, Orgill DP, Nabzdyk CS. Injectable Shape-Memorizing Three-Dimensional Hyaluronic Acid Cryogels for Skin Sculpting and Soft Tissue Reconstruction. Tissue Eng Part A, 23(5-6):243-251 (2017).
  17. Bencherif SA*, Sands RW*, Ali O, Li WA, Lewin SA, Braschler T, Shih T-Y, Verbeke CS, Bhatta D, Dranoff G, Mooney DJ. Injectable cryogel-based whole cell cancer vaccines. Nature Communications, 6: 7556 (2015).
  18. Nance EA, Zhang C, Shih T-Y, Xu Q, Schuster B, Hanes J. Brain penetrating nanoparticles improve paclitaxel efficacy in malignant glioma following local administration. ACS Nano, 8(10): 10655-64 (2014).
  19. Nance E*, Timbie K*, Miller GW, Song J, Louttit C, Klibanov AL, Shih T-Y, Swaminatha G, Tamargo RJ, Woodworth G, Hanes J, Price R. Non-invasive delivery of stealth, brain-penetrating nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier using MRI-guided focused ultrasound. J Control Rel. 189:123-132 (2014).
  20. Nance EA*, Woodworth G*, Sailor K, Shih T-Y, Swaminathan G, Xiang D, Eberhart C, Hanes J. A dense poly(ethylene glycol) coating improves penetration of large polymeric nanoparticles within brain tissue. Sci Transl Med. 4(149):149ra119 (2012).
  21. Shih T-Y*, Chen KF*, Rothman R, Hsieh US National estimation of emergency department utilization of patients given HIV/AIDS related illness as their primary diagnosis. HIV Medicine. 12(6):343-351 (2011).
  22. Shih T-Y, Gaydos C, Rothman R, Hsieh Poor Provider Adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Treatment guidelines in U.S. emergency department visits with a diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 38(4):299-305 (2011).
  23. Shadmehr R, Orban de Xivry JJ, Xu-Wilson M, Shih T-Y. Temporal discounting of reward and the cost of time in motor control. J Neurosci. 30(31):10507-10516 (2010).
  24. Hsieh YH, Shih T-Y, Lin HW, Hsieh TC, Kuo MJ, Lin CW, Gaydos High-risk sexual behaviours and genital chlamydial infections in high school students in southern Taiwan. Int J of STD and AIDS. 21(4):253-259 (2010).