Xiuling Lu, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Connecticut, has received the 2025 Michael J. Pikal NIPTE Distinguished Scholar in Pharmaceutical Processing Award from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education. Presented biennially, the award is the institute’s highest honor, recognizing a senior faculty member who has made outstanding scientific contributions in pharmaceutical science and technology.
A University of Connecticut faculty member since 2011, Dr. Lu currently serves as associate director of the university’s Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research. In her work, she focuses on innovative nanotechnologies that target difficult-to-treat cancers, the optimization and evaluation of drug formulations, and pharmaceutical processing. Her most recent research publications explore delivery strategies for targeting tumors through intraperitoneal delivery and the evaluation of mRNA lipid nanoparticles.
Dr. Lu earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemical engineering and her master’s degree in fermentation engineering from Tianjin University of Science and Technology in China. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.