Synthesizing a Bright Future

Gifts to the new Ralph S. O'Connor Building for Engineering and Science, like the Sicks' generous gift of real estate with a retained life estate (cover story), are an essential part of Be Bold: The Campaign for Rice. These contributions empower the university to build on its renowned graduate programs, offering unparalleled research and educational opportunities to promising young scholars like Emily McHugh '21. In her Ph.D. program at Rice, McHugh researched biomedical applications of materials chemistry in the lab of James Tour, the T. T. and W. F. Chao Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering.

McHugh initially learned about Tour's lab from a Rice alumna and was particularly intrigued by his work on materials for spinal cord repair. For McHugh, training with a scientist of Tour's caliber was one of the most rewarding aspects of her Rice experience. "Dr. Tour's passion for research is infectious and it motivates us to be better scientists," she reflects. Working in collaboration with researchers from the Texas Medical Center, McHugh focused on materials that have the potential to significantly improve recovery outcomes for conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury and dementia.

McHugh's work has led to the discovery of a promising drug candidate, and she is now focused on product development. "I am currently investigating how we can synthesize the nanomaterial drug in a way that would make it easily and safely translatable to an industrial scale, as well as more likely to acquire FDA approval," she explains, noting that this is necessary to prepare the drug for clinical studies. The ability to collaborate with medical scientists on the application of her research was a highlight of McHugh's time at Rice. "I think that one of the most interesting things about chemistry is being able to apply the materials you develop, especially in the biomedical field," she states.

The Ralph S. O'Connor Building for Engineering and Science is designed to facilitate groundbreaking collaborations, like Emily's, that will improve healthcare and outcomes for patients with brain injuries. With support from donors, like the Sicks, our talented students and faculty will have the opportunity to translate research into life-changing innovation.

If you are interested in helping the next generation of scientists and innovators pursue pathbreaking collaborative research like Emily's, contact us at 713-348-4624 or [email protected].