Research

• Project I: Synthesis of linear and star-like functionalized amphiphilic polycaprolactones for micellar drug delivery
• Project II: Comination loading of doxorubicin and resveratrol in polymeric micelles for increased drug loading efficiency and improved therapeutic efficacy
• Project III: Encapsulation of donor-acceptor near-IR emitting small molecules in polymeric micelles for imaging applications
• Project IV: Analysis of oxidative degradation of polypropylene mesh explants

Publications

• Washington, K.E.; Quiram, G.; Nguyen, A. V.; Kularantne, R.N.; Minary-Jolandan, M.; Zimmern, P.; Stefan, M.C. Bioerosion of Synthetic Sling Explants. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2017, Accepted Manuscript
• Du, J.; Fortney, A.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Kowalewski, T.; Stefan, M.C. Benzo[1,2-b:4-5b']difuran and furan substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole alternating copolymer for organic photovoltaics with high fill factor. J. Mater. Chem. A., 2017, 5, 15591-15600
• Washington, K.E.; Kularante, R.N.; Du, J.; Ren, Y.; Gillings, M.J.; Geng, C.X.; Biewer M.C.; Stefan, M.C., Thermoresponsive star-like γ-substituted poly(caprolactone)s for micellar drug delivery. J. Mater. Chem. B., 2017, 5, 5632-5640.
• Senevirathne, S.A.*; Washington, K.E.*; Miller, J.B.; Biewer, M.C.; Oupicky, D.; Siegwart, D.J.; Stefan, M.C.; HDAC Inhibitor Conjugated Polymeric Prodrug Micelles for Doxorubicin Delivery. J. Mater. Chem. B., 2017, 5, 2106-2114. [* Equal contribution of authors]
• Bulumulla, C.; Du, J.; Washington, K.E.; Kularante, R.N.; Nguyen, H.Q.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Influence of Functionalized Side Chains of Polythiophene Diblock Copolymers on the Performance of CdSe Quantum Dot Hybrid Solar Cells. J. Mater. Chem. A.; 2017, 5, 2473-2477
• Du, J.; Fortney, A; Washington, K.E.; Bulumulla, C.; Huang, P; Dissanayake, D; Biewer, M.C.; Kowalewski, T.; Stefan, M.C.; Systematic Investigation of Benzodithiophene-Benzothiadiazole Isomers for Organic Photovoltaics. ACS Applied Materials 7 Interfaces, 2016, 8, 33025-33033.
• Parhiranage, T.M.S.K.; Kim, M.; Nguyen, H.Q.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Enhancing Long-Range Ordering of P3HT by Incorporating Thermotropic Biphenyl Mesogens via ATRP. Macromolecules, 2016, 49, 6846-6857.
• Washington, K.E.; Kularante, R.N.; Karmegam, V.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Recent advances in aliphatic polyesters for drug delivery applications. WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 2016, DOI: 10/1002/wnan.1446.
• Washington, K.E.; Kularante, R.N.; Du, J.; Gillings, M.J.; Webb, J.C.; Doan, N.C.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Synthesis of linear and star-like poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly{γ-2-[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy-ε-caprolactone} amphiphilic block copolymers using zinc undecylenate, Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2016, 54, 3601-3608.
• Seneviranthne, S.A.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; PEG based anti-cancer drug conjugated prodrug micelles for the delivery of anti-cancer agents. J. Mater. Chem. B., 2016, 4, 360-370.
• Rainbolt, E.A.; Miller, J.B.; Washington, K.E.; Seneviranthne, S.A.; Biewer, M.C.; Siegwart, D.J.; Stefan, M.C. Fine-tuning thermoresponsive functional poly(ε-caprolactone)s to enhance micelle stability and drug loading. J. Mater. Chem. B., 2015, 3, 1779-1787
• Rainbolt, E.A.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Recent Developments in micellar druc carriers featuring substituted poly(ε-caprolactones)s. Polymer Chemistry, 2015, 6, 2369-2381.
• Kapallani, A.; Dillard, C.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Kalra, V. Self-Assembyl of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(γ-benzyl-_L-glutamate) within Solution-Cast Films and Nanofibers. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 2014, 299, 1484-1493.
• Rainbolt, E.A.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C. Towards smart polymeric drug carriers: self-assembling γ-substituted polycaprolactones with highly tunable thermoresponsive behavior. Journal of Materials Chemistry B: Materials for Biology and Medicine, 2013, 1, 6532-6537.
• Hao, J.; Rainbolt, E.A.; Washington, K.E.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C. Synthesis of Functionalized Poly(caprolactone)s and Their Application as Micellar Drug Delivery Systems. Current Orgainc Chemistry, 2013, 17, 930-942.

Presentations

• Washington, K.E.; Kularantne, R.N.; Ren, Y.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Functionalized star-like ε-caprolactone amphiphilic block copolymers for thermoresponsive micellar drug delivery systems. Oral presentation in the Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium, 253^rd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
• Washington, K.E.; Kularatne, R.N.; Gillings, M.J.; Geng, C.X.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Comparison of star-like and linear amphiphilic γ-substituted ε-caprolactone block copolymers for drug delivery applications. Oral presentation at the 252^nd ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
• Washington, K.E.; Comparison of Linear and Star-Like Poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly{γ-2-[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy-ε-caprolactone} Amphiphilic Block Copolymers for Drug Delivery Applications. Oral presentation at the 2016 Texas Soft Matter Meeting, Dallas, TX.
• Washington, K.E.; Kularantne, R.N.; Doan, N.C.; Webb, J.C.; Gillings, M.J.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; Star-like amphiphilic γ-substituted ε-caprolactone block copolymers for drug delivery applications. Oral presentation at the 250^thACS National Meeting, Boston, MA.
• Washington, K.E.; Rainbolt, E.A.; Seneviranthne, S.A.; Biewer, M.C.; Stefan, M.C.; γ-Substituted ε-caprolactone monmers for the synthesis of diblock copolymers for micellar drug delivery applications. Poster presentation at the 247^th ACS National Meeting, Dallas, TX.