Get to Know Fischell Institute Community Member: Pablo Lozano

Introduction

Pablo Lozano is a chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student working in the research lab of Hannah Zierden, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and Fischell Institute Affiliate Fellow at the University of Maryland.

His research focuses on developing nanoparticle platforms for targeted drug delivery, with potential applications in women's health. Outside of the lab, Lozano enjoys reading, running, and learning new languages.

1. What sparked your interest in chemical and biomolecular engineering, and what led you to the University of Maryland?

“When I was young, I became very curious about anatomy and physiology. I started asking how things work and what machinery performs specific functions. That led me to lean into biology and chemistry to find the answers to my questions.

“In college, I became interested in using this fundamental knowledge of the human body to develop new treatments and therapeutics to help people. That's when I decided to study chemical and biomolecular engineering, a field grounded in transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and kinetics.

“I learned to apply these concepts to living systems and cells while keeping a holistic perspective in biomedical research. This interest eventually became my guiding research focus, and it remains unchanged in my graduate studies at the University of Maryland.

“I chose to attend the University of Maryland because its labs aligned with my interest in integrating medical research and engineering principles.”

2. Tell us about your research in the Zierden Lab and its potential applications in women's health.

“My research centers on developing nanoparticle platforms to deliver therapeutics to targeted areas. Developing these delivery platforms presents many challenges, such as the protein corona — a spontaneous adhesion of proteins to nanoparticle surfaces that changes how the body responds to a therapeutic.

“My current project focuses on understanding how the protein corona changes when a therapeutic is delivered locally to different organ systems. This research excites me because it will lay the groundwork for new drug-delivery technologies in fields like women's health, which will benefit tremendously from a better understanding of local therapeutic delivery.

“By better understanding the protein corona that forms, we can develop improved nanoparticle carriers that deliver therapeutics more effectively to reproductive tissues in environments where treatments may be quickly cleared from the body. Overall, this project's findings could improve the viability of locally delivered therapeutics and contribute to more effective treatments for women's health.

3. What has been one of your most memorable or rewarding experiences working in the Zierden Lab?

“My most memorable experience in the Zierden Lab was seeing a protocol I wrote go from a draft to a final product.

“When I started the protein corona project, I first had to learn how to extract proteins from animal tissues across different organ systems. I guided and contributed to every part of developing this pipeline, from drafting the protocol based on previously reported methods to experimental testing and optimization.

“By the end of this process, I had extracted the desired proteins, which made the hard work I put into the development rewarding. While obtaining the final protein was satisfying, the most important part of this process was the chance to work with and learn from every member of the lab.”

4. What challenges have you faced throughout your engineering journey, and what advice would you give to students pursuing a Ph.D.?

“After my undergraduate and graduate studies in engineering, I can say with certainty that the coursework can be heavy, especially when you add research into the mix.

“When I first added research to my undergraduate workload, I thought I could manage it all without changing my time-management habits. That turned out to be wrong. After a difficult semester, I had to learn to manage my time and focus on one task at a time.

“It took time to learn how to balance my responsibilities, but once I did, I carried those habits into my doctoral studies. Habits like planning ahead, blocking my time, and making sure I have time to reset after long weeks helped me find balance overall.

“The main piece of advice I would give a new Ph.D. student in engineering is not to get discouraged when things get hard! Things will get hard because that's normal. Sometimes you need to keep your head down and grind it out. Things will get better!”

5. What are your future career goals, and what impact do you hope to make through your research and teaching?

“I hope to become a faculty member and establish my own research lab. I was inspired to take this path by a desire to help others through teaching and research.

“In teaching, I hope to train the next generation of engineers and scientists who will be ready to face tomorrow's challenges.

“Through research, I hope my future work can focus on areas like drug delivery and immunology to help sick people get better with new, innovative medicines.”

Published October 21, 2026