ACS Polymer Chemistry Division Researcher of the Month for May 2018

April Kloxin, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Delaware, is the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry Researcher of the Month for May 2018.

Her research group seeks to design dynamic materials, including novel biomaterials, and use them to understand and direct important biological signals in tissue regeneration and disease.

Kloxin was also recently featured on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Blog for her work addressing the issue of late recurrence for breast cancer survivors. In 2016, she received a Career Catalyst Research Award from the Susan G. Komen Roundation for this work.

“My research group is working to develop materials that mimic the body tissues where breast cancer recurrence is likely to occur,” she said in the blog post. “Our team is trying to understand how the environment of these tissues causes dormant breast cancer cells to ‘wake up’, leading to recurrence.”

Kloxin also shared why breast cancer is personal to her and her family. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor who is now 13 years disease-free, giving her insight into the challenges patients and survivors face.

“When my mother was diagnosed, I looked at literature to learn about the latest treatment options for her type of ER+ breast cancer,” she said in the blog post. “I realized that patients face a constant concern of recurrence, even after successful initial treatment. Therefore, I decided to focus my research efforts on addressing this outstanding issue of late recurrence.”

Kloxin and her lab group organized a team to run and walk at the Komen Philiadelphia Race for the Cure on Sunday, May 13, 2018 in honor of those who have fought or are fighting breast cancer.

In addition to her roles at UD, Kloxin is a member of the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute in the Christiana Care Health System.