Dr. Kizhakkedathu is an expert in blood contacting biomaterials, material design for biology and translational research. Dr. Kizhakkedathu completed PhD in Chemistry in 2000 and began his first faculty appoint in 2005 at the University of British Columbia. He is a full professor since 2016. Dr. Kizhakkedathu’s research encompasses multiple themes, including cell-surface engineering and organ engineering, therapeutics, proteomic reagents, and infection resistant blood-compatible surfaces and devices with focus on biomaterial innovation with a common foundation in applied hematology and translational medicine.

Dr. Kizhakkedathu has received numerous other awards and recognitions, including the Canada Research Chair Tier I (2022), named a Fellow Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) (2020), Faculty Research Award in 2018, the UBC Killam Research Prize in 2017, the UBC Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Achievement Award in 2013, and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Excellence in Research and Discovery Award in 2011. He was also recognized as a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar (MSFHR) in 2011 and was honoured with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award in 2005.

Dr. Kizhakkedathu’s research has been published in numerous basic science and clinical journals (>200) including in Science Translational Medicine, Nature Materials, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Communications, Blood, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Biomaterials, ACS Nano, ACS Central Science among many others, and several patents (~30) which form the foundation of a few companies.

Full details of Dr. Kizhakkedathu’s publications can be found on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=zL7GeOwAAAAJ&hl=en.

• UBC Faculty of Medicine ‘ Distinguished Achievement Award’. 2013
• MSFHR Career Scholar. 2011
• Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ‘Excellence in Research and Discovery Award’. 2011
• CIHR New Investigator. 2005

Selected Publications

• Kalathottukaren MT, Abraham L, Kapopara PR, Benjamin FL Lai BFL, Shenoi RA, Rosell FI, Conway EM, Pryzdial ELG, Morrissey JH, Haynes CA, Kizhakkedathu JN. ( 2016)  Alteration of blood clotting and lung damage by protamine are avoided using the heparin and polyphosphate inhibitor UHRA. Blood 2016 :blood-2016-10-747915; doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2016-10-747915
• Yu K, Lo JC, Yan M, Yang X, Brooks DE, Hancock RE, Lange D, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) Anti-adhesive antimicrobial peptide coating prevents catheter associated infection in a mouse urinary infection model. Biomaterials. 2017 Feb;116:69-81.
• Du C, Mendelson AA, Guan Q, Dairi G, Chafeeva I, da Roza G, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) Hyperbranched polyglycerol is superior to glucose for long-term preservation of peritoneal membrane in a rat model of chronic peritoneal dialysis. J Transl Med. 14(1):338.
• Loy C, Meghezi S, Lévesque L, Pezzoli D, Kumra H, Reinhardt D, Kizhakkedathu JN, Mantovani D. (2016) A planar model of the vessel wall from cellularized-collagen scaffolds: focus on cell-matrix interactions in mono-, bi- and tri-culture models. Biomater Sci. 20;5(1):153-162.
• Brockman KS, Kizhakkedathu JN, Santerre JP. (2016). Hemocompatibility studies on a degradable polar hydrophobic ionic polyurethane (D-PHI). Acta Biomater. 2016 Nov 3. pii: S1742-7061(16)30592-X. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.11.005.
• Hamilton JL, Ul-Haq MI, Creagh AL, Haynes CA, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) Iron Binding and Iron Removal Efficiency of Desferrioxamine Based Polymeric Iron Chelators: Influence of Molecular Size and Chelator Density. Macromol Biosci. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201600244.
• Shenoi RA, Abbina S, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) In Vivo Biological Evaluation of High Molecular Weight Multifunctional Acid-Degradable Polymeric Drug Carriers with Structurally Different Ketals. Biomacromolecules. 2016 17(11):3683-3693.
• Li S, Constantinescu I, Guan Q, Kalathottukaren MT, Brooks DE, Nguan CY, Kizhakkedathu JN, Du C. Advantages of replacing hydroxyethyl starch in University of Wisconsin solution with hyperbranched polyglycerol for cold kidney perfusion. J Surg Res. 205(1):59-69.
• Yang X, Li N, Constantinesco I, Yu K, Kizhakkedathu JN, Brooks DE. (2016) Choline phosphate functionalized cellulose membrane: A potential hemostatic dressing based on a unique bioadhesion mechanism. Acta Biomater. 40:212-25.
• Hamilton JL, Imran Ul-Haq M, Abbina S, Kalathottukaren MT, Lai BF, Hatef A, Unniappan S, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016)  In vivo efficacy, toxicity and biodistribution of ultra-long circulating desferrioxamine based polymeric iron chelator. Biomaterials. 102:58-71.
• Lai ZW, Weisser J, Nilse L, Costa F, Keller E, Tholen M, Kizhakkedathu JN, Biniossek M, Bronsert P, Schilling O. (2016) Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues (FFPE) as a Robust Source for the Profiling of Native and Protease-Generated Protein Amino Termini. Mol Cell Proteomics. 15(6):2203-13.
• Wen J, Weinhart M, Lai B, Kizhakkedathu JN, Brooks DE.  Reversible hemostatic properties of sulfabetaine/quaternary ammonium modified hyperbranched polyglycerol. Biomaterials 86, 42-55.
• Moradi S, Hadjesfandiari N, Toosi SF, Kizhakkedathu JN*, Hatzikiriakos SG*. (2016) Effect of Extreme Wettability on Platelet Adhesion on Metallic Implants: From Superhydrophilicity to Superhydrophobicity. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 8(27):17631-41. (*equal senior authors)
• Tholen S, Wolf C, Mayer B, Knopf JD, Löffek S, Qian Y, Kizhakkedathu JN, Biniossek ML, Franzke CW, Schilling O. (2016) Skin Barrier Defects Caused by Keratinocyte-Specific Deletion of ADAM17 or EGFR Are Based on Highly Similar Proteome and Degradome Alterations. Journal of proteome research 15 (5), 1402-1417.
• Leung VL, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) The mechanism and modulation of complement activation on polymer grafted cells. Acta biomaterialia 31, 252-263.
• Koczorowska MM, Tholen S, Bucher F, Lutz L, Kizhakkedathu JN, De Wever D, Wellner UF, Biniossek ML, Stahl A, Lassmann S, Schilling O. (2016). Fibroblast activation protein-α, a stromal cell surface protease, shapes key features of cancer associated fibroblasts through proteome and degradome alterations. Molecular oncology 10 (1), 40-58.
• Wong NK, Misri R, Shenoi RA, Chafeeva I, Kizhakkedathu JN*, Khan MK*. (2015) Design considerations for developing hyperbranched polyglycerol nanoparticles as systemic drug carriers. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology J Biomed Nanotechnol. 12(5):1089-100. (*equal senior authors).
• Yu K, Creagh AL,  Haynes CA, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2016) Modulation of Multivalent Protein Binding on Surfaces by Glycopolymer Brush Chemistry. Macro-Glycoligands: Methods and Protocols, 183-193
• Yu K, Lo JC, Mei Y, Haney EF, Siren E, Kalathottukaren MT, Hancock RE, Lange D, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2015) Toward Infection-Resistant Surfaces: Achieving High Antimicrobial Peptide Potency by Modulating the Functionality of Polymer Brush and Peptide. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 7(51):28591-605.
• Narain R, Wang Y, Ahmed M, Lai BF, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2015). Blood Components Interactions to Ionic and Nonionic Glyconanogels. Biomacromolecules. 16(9):2990-7.
• Yu K, Lai BFL, Gani J.; Mikut R, Hilpert K, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2015)Interaction of Blood Components with Natural Cathelicidins and Artificial Short Antimicrobial Peptides. Biomaterials 69, 201-211.
• Schlage P, Kockmann T, Sabino F, Kizhakkedathu JN, Auf dem Keller U. (2015) Matrix Metalloproteinase 10 Degradomics in Keratinocytes and Epidermal Tissue Identifies Bioactive Substrates With Pleiotropic Functions. Mol Cell Proteomics. 14(12):3234-46.
• Shenoi RA, Chafeeva I, Lai, BFL, Horte S, Kizhakkedathu JN. (2015) Bioreducible Hyperbranched Polyglycerols with Disulfide Linkages: Synthesis and Biocompatibility Evaluation. Journal of Polymer Science: Part A Polymer Chemistry  53 (18), 2104-2115.
• Yang X,   Li N, Kizhakkedathu JN,  Brooks DE. ( 2015) Choline Phosphate Functionalized Cellulose Membrane Developed as Potential Hemostasis Dressing Based on a Unique Bioadhesion Mechanism. International Journal of Bioscience, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics 5 (4), 211.
• Schlage P, Kockmann T, Kizhakkedathu JN, auf dem Keller U. (2015) Monitoring matrix metalloproteinase activity at the epidermal-dermal interface by SILAC-iTRAQ-TAILS. Proteomics. 15 (14), 2491-2502.  
• Kwan D, Constantinescu I, Chapanian R, Higgins, M, Koetzler M, Samain E, Boraston AB, Kizhakkedathu, JN; Withers, S. (2015) Towards efficient enzymes for the generation of universal blood through structure-guided directed evolution. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137 (17), 5695-5705.
• Melzak KA, Yu K, Bo D, Kizhakkedathu JN*, Toca-Herrera JL* (2015). Chain Length and Grafting Density Dependent Enhancement in the Hydrolysis of Ester-Linked Polymer Brushes. Langmuir. 16; 31(23):6463-70. (*equal senior authors).
• Misri R, Wong NK, Shenoi RA, Lum CM, Chafeeva I, Toth K, Rustum Y, Kizhakkedathu JN*, Khan MK*. (2015) Investigation of hydrophobically derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerol with PEGylated shell as a nanocarrier for systemic delivery of chemotherapeutics. Nanomedicine-Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine. 11 (7), 1785-1795 (*equal senior authors)
• Hamilton JL, Kizhakkedathu JN. Polymeric nanocarriers for the treatment of systemic iron overload. Molecular and Cellular Therapies. 2015, 3:3DOI: 10.1186/s40591-015-0039-1.
• Gao S, Guan Q, Chafeeva I, Brooks DE, Nguan CY, Kizhakkedathu JN*, Du C.* Hyperbranched polyglycerol as a colloid in cold organ preservation solutions. PLoS One. 2015 Feb 23;10(2):e0116595. (*equal senior authors)
• Kumar P, Shenoi RA, Lai BF, Nguyen M, Kizhakkedathu JN,* Straus SK.*Conjugation of Aurein 2.2 to HPG Yields an Antimicrobial with Better Properties. Biomacromolecules. 2015 Mar 9;16(3):913-23 (*equal senior authors)
• Godoy-Gallardo M, Mas-Moruno C, Yu K, Manero JM, Gil FJ, Kizhakkedathu JN, Rodriguez D.Antibacterial properties of hLf1-11 peptide onto titanium surfaces: a comparison study between silanization and surface initiated polymerization. 2015 Feb 9;16(2):483-96.
• Sabino F, Hermes O, Egli FE, Kockmann T, Schlage P, Croizat P, Kizhakkedathu JN, Smola H, auf dem Keller U. In vivo assessment of protease dynamics in cutaneous wound healing by degradomics analysis of porcine wound exudates. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2015 Feb;14(2):354-70.
• Stukas S, Robert J, Lee M, Kulic I, Carr M, Tourigny K, Fan J, Namjoshi D, Lemke K, DeValle N, Chan J, Wilson T, Wilkinson A, Chapanian R, Kizhakkedathu JN, Cirrito JR, Oda MN, Wellington CL. Intravenously injected human apolipoprotein A-I rapidly enters the central nervous system via the choroid plexus. J Am Heart Assoc. 2014 Nov 12;3(6):e001156.
• Shenoi RA, Kalathottukaren MT, Travers RJ, Lai BF, Creagh AL, Lange D, Yu K, Weinhart M, Chew BH, Du C, Brooks DE, Carter CJ, Morrissey JH, Haynes CA, Kizhakkedathu JN. Affinity-based design of a synthetic universal reversal agent for heparin anticoagulants. Science Transl Med. 2014 Oct 29;6(260):260ra150

Dr. Kizhakkedathu is leading a translational research program is to innovate materials and therapeutics to treat and prevent immunothrombosis, immunological rejection of organs and cells, and protection of tissues and organs in inflammatory conditions and infection resistant devices. Dr. Kizhakkedathu is recognized in the development of novel polymers for cell-surface engineering, and as therapeutics, antibiofilm coatings and proteomic tools. Kizhakkedathu’s research is based on tailoring molecular level interactions of synthetic polymers with biological systems to design novel biomaterials in a translational setting. Dr. Kizhakkedathu takes an integrative, interdisciplinary approach combining an understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases and advanced polymer synthesis with well‐designed biological assays and animal models to discover therapeutics, and technologies for biomedical and clinical use.

(We are always looking for talented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for our interdisciplinary research program. Please send your updated CV along with a cover letter).

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