Dr. Panitch specializes in bioorganic chemistry, controlled release and materials and peptide therapeutics. Her research interests include the design and synthesis of biomaterials for drug delivery, spinal cord and vascular tissue engineering and the development of biomimetic therapeutic peptides for vascular, neural and fibrotic diseases. Her work has resulted in the founding of three startup companies, with therapeutics in various stages of clinical trials and preclinical development. She is a regular member on the NIH Biomaterials and Biointerfaces study section. Her work has been funded through national agencies including the NSF, NIH and DARPA, as well as through private foundations and industry, and the work has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications, over 50 invited talks and several patents. Her educational focus revolves around innovation, entrepreneurship, and inquiry-based learning. She is currently Associate Head of the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and a Full Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University.