ULM College of Pharmacy faculty secures $380K NSF grant to improve cold-storage of life-saving medicines

Published May 7, 2026

Huy Dao, Ph.D. NSF Grant Recipient Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

MONROE, La.听鈥撎�Dr. Huy M. Dao, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Louisiana Monroe, has received a $380,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to improve how protein-based medicines 鈥� such as vaccines and biologics 鈥� survive freezing and thawing.听听

This award is particularly notable as NSF funds only the most rigorous fundamental research, and grants of this kind are rarely awarded to faculty in pharmacy or health sciences, making it a meaningful recognition of the scientific novelty of Dr. Dao's work at the intersection of engineering and medicine.听听

"Every day I walk past a quote on the staircase at the College of Pharmacy that says, 'If at first you don't succeed, you're normal.' I carried that mindset going in 鈥� I听didn't听expect to win on the first try. So, this is a genuinely pleasant surprise, and听I'm听incredibly thankful to ULM and our College for creating the conditions where this research could thrive,鈥� said Dr. Dao.听听

Dr. Dao鈥檚 project,听鈥淔reeze Induced Protein Instability Driven by Air Water Interfacial Stress,鈥澨齱ill investigate the fundamental mechanisms of cryopreservation-induced damage in biologics.听

Many of these medicines are damaged when they are accidentally thawed during shipping and then re-frozen, making them unsafe to use and leading to costly waste. Dr. Dao's research aims to understand why this damage happens and develop a simple pre-treatment that allows these medicines to withstand multiple freeze-thaw cycles without losing their effectiveness.听听

The findings could make the medical supply chain more resilient, reduce medicine waste, and听ultimately improve听patient access to critical treatments.听Looking further ahead, this work听has the potential to expand into the preservation of living cells and tissues, opening doors to advances in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies.听听

The three-year project will also provide hands-on research training for ULM students and include science outreach to local high school students in the Monroe community.听

鈥淒r. Dao鈥檚 award is a significant accomplishment听that reflects the听quality of research taking place听in听the ULM College of Pharmacy. His work addresses a practical and important challenge in protecting critical medicines, while also creating opportunities for our students to engage in meaningful scientific research,鈥� said Dr. Gina Craft, Dean of the ULM College of Pharmacy.听