Dr. Stavroula Sofou

Biography

Stavroula Sofou is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests focus on heterogeneous lipid bilayers, drug delivery, nanobiomaterials, and targeted chemotherapy, particularly in the context of difficult-to-treat cancers. She employs non-traditional approaches to address challenges in drug delivery, including the development of environmentally-responsive biomaterials that can be designed to perform specific tasks critical to cancer therapies. Sofou's current research emphasizes engineering strategies to ensure uniform and prolonged distributions of therapeutics in solid tumors and creating innovative binding geometries for nanoparticles aimed at targeting cells with low expression of known surface markers. Her work integrates fundamental studies with applied techniques in biomaterials to design devices that significantly enhance human health. A recognized leader in her field, Sofou has received numerous accolades including the Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society, the Coulter Foundation award, and recognition as a NATO Science Fellow. She has also been awarded the Teaching Excellence award multiple times during her tenure at Rutgers University, where she previously served as an associate professor. Sofou is actively involved in patient advocacy through her role at the Physical Sciences – Oncology Center (PS-OC) at Johns Hopkins.

Research Interests

Experience