Emmanuel Ho

Associate Professor

Emmanuel Ho The HoResearchGroup is interested in the development and characterization of innovative drug delivery strategies including nanomedicines, medical devices and biomaterials for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, cancer, and chronic wound healing.

Contact information
Office: PHR 4002
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext.21372
Email: emmanuel.ho@uwaterloo.ca
Website: HoResearchGroup

Expertise

Drug delivery and pharmaceutics
Nanomedicine, medical devices, biomaterials
3D Printing, hot-melt injection molding
HIV/AIDS, cancer, chronic wound healing

Research

The HoResearchGroup uses an interdisciplinary approach to develop strategies for the imaging, treatment, and prevention of diseases. This involves the fabrication and characterization of innovative biomaterials for drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles, medical devices, biodegradable films, hydrogels, etc. Trainees in the HoResearchGroup will become experts in various fields including pharmaceutical sciences, bioengineering, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, and chemistry.

Highlighted Publications

Autophagy induction and PDGFR-β knockdown by siRNA-encapsulated nanoparticles reduce chlamydia trachomatis infection. Yang S, Traore Y, Jimenez C, Ho EA. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 4;9(1):1306. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36601-y. PMID: 30718536
Design and development of pH-responsive polyurethane membranes for intravaginal release of nanomedicines. Kim S, Traore YL, Ho EA, Shafiq M, Kim SH, Liu S. Acta Biomater. 2018 Dec;82:12-23. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.10.003. Epub 2018 Oct 6. PMID: 30296620
Current State of Microbicide Development. Traore YL, Chen Y, Ho EA. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2018 Dec;104(6):1074-1081. doi: 10.1002/cpt.1212. Epub 2018 Sep 24. PMID: 30107032
Using safe, affordable and accessible non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the number of HIV target cells in the blood and at the female genital tract. Lajoie J, Birse K, Mwangi L, Chen Y, Cheruiyot J, Akolo M, Mungai J, Boily-Larouche G, Romas L, Mutch S, Kimani M, Oyugi J, Ho EA, Burgener A, Kimani J, Fowke KR. J Int AIDS Soc. 2018 Jul;21(7):e25150. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25150. PMID: 30047573
Implant delivering hydroxychloroquine attenuates vaginal T lymphocyte activation and inflammation. Chen Y, Traore YL, Yang S, Lajoie J, Fowke KR, Rickey DW, Ho EA. J Control Release. 2018 May 10;277:102-113. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.03.010. Epub 2018 Mar 13. PMID: 29545105
A new strategy for battling bacterial resistance: Turning potent, non-selective and potentially non-resistance-inducing biocides into selective ones. Ghanbar S, Fumakia M, Ho EA, Liu S. Nanomedicine. 2018 Feb;14(2):471-481. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2017.11.014. Epub 2017 Nov 26. PMID: 29183863
Dynamic mechanical behaviour of nanoparticle loaded biodegradable PVA films for vaginal drug delivery. Traore YL, Fumakia M, Gu J, Ho EA. J Biomater Appl. 2018 Mar;32(8):1119-1126. doi: 10.1177/0885328217739451. Epub 2017 Nov 6. PMID: 29105543
Disposition, Metabolism and Histone Deacetylase and Acetyltransferase Inhibition Activity of Tetrahydrocurcumin and Other Curcuminoids. Novaes JT, Lillico R, Sayre CL, Nagabushnam K, Majeed M, Chen Y, Ho EA, Oliveira ALP, Martinez SE, Alrushaid S, Davies NM, Lakowski TM. Pharmaceutics. 2017 Oct 12;9(4). pii: E45. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics9040045
Self-assembled nanoparticles made from a new PEGylated poly(aspartic acid) graft copolymer for intravaginal delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs. Kim S, Traore YL, Lee JS, Kim JH, Ho EA, Liu S. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2017 Aug 30:1-40. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 28853638
Development of antibody-modified chitosan nanoparticles for the targeted delivery of siRNA across the blood-brain barrier as a strategy for inhibiting HIV replication in astrocytes. Gu J, Al-Bayati K, Ho EA. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2017 Aug;7(4):497-506. PMID: 28315051
Reversibly pH-responsive polyurethane membranes for on-demand intravaginal drug delivery. Kim S, Chen Y, Ho EA, Liu S. Acta Biomater. 2017 Jan 1;47:100-112. PMID: 27717914
Nanoparticles Encapsulated with LL37 and Serpin A1 Promotes Wound Healing and Synergistically Enhances Antibacterial Activity. Fumakia M, Ho EA. Mol Pharm. 2016 Jul 5;13(7):2318-31. PMID: 27182713
Impact of Hydroxychloroquine-Loaded Polyurethane Intravaginal Rings on Lactobacilli. Traore YL, Chen Y, Bernier AM, Ho EA. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015 Dec;59(12):7680-6. PMID: 26416871
Biodegradable Film for the Targeted Delivery of siRNA-Loaded Nanoparticles to Vaginal Immune Cells. Gu J, Yang S, Ho EA. Mol Pharm. 2015 Aug 3;12(8):2889-903 PMID: 26099315
Development of an Analytical Method for the Rapid Quantitation of Peptides Used in Microbicide Formulations. Chen Y, Yang S, Ho EA. Chromatographia. 2014;77(23-24):1713-1720. PMID: 25477555
Development of polyether urethane intravaginal rings for the sustained delivery of hydroxychloroquine. Chen Y, Traore YL, Li A, Fowke KR, Ho EA. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014 Oct 9;8:1801-15. PMID: 25336923

Awards and Distinctions

2016-2021 Leslie F. Buggey Professorship
2015 Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) New Investigator Research Award
2015 Gattefosse Canada/CSPS Award in Lipid-Based Drug Delivery
2014 GlaxoSmithKline/Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (GSK/CSPS) Early Career Award
2013 Rh Award for Excellence in Research (Interdisciplinary Category)
2008-2009 Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Post-Doctoral Fellowship
2007-2009 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Post-Doctoral Fellowship
2007 Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award
2005-2007 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial Post-Graduate Scholarship
2005-2006 Ontario Graduate (Ph.D.) Scholarship (OGS)

Professional Associations and Service

2017-present Member, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
2015-2017 President, Canadian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (CC-CRS)
2016-2017 Invited Guest Editor, Drug Delivery and Translational Research
2016-present Associate Editor, Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
2015 Chair, Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) / Canadian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society, Session: “Mucosal Drug Delivery”.
2014-2015 Secretary, Canadian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (CC-CRS)
2013-2015 Member, Controlled Release Society Young Scientist Committee

Media

2014-Dec. "Research Group is Developing New Strategies to Prevent HIV". Interview with UMToday regarding my research program.

2014-Nov. "UofM Community Inspires at Inaugural TEDxUManitoba". My presentation entitled “Nano-medicine – the way of the future?” was featured in this article. UMToday.

2014-Nov. Independent TEDxUManitoba Event at U of M. My presentation entitled “Nano-medicine – the way of the future?” was featured in this article. The Manitoban

2013-July. “Treating and Preventing HIV”. The interview was focused on the impact of my research program on the field of HIV/AIDS. International Innovation. Issue 22:83-85.