Theresa M. Reineke

Reineke earned her bachelor's degree at University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.[1] She moved to Arizona State University for her graduate studies and earned a Master's degree in 1998.[1][2] Reineke was a PhD student at the University of Michigan, where she was supervised by Michael O'Keeffe and Omar M. Yaghi.[1][3] She was awarded the Wirt and Mary Cornell Prize for Outstanding Graduate Research. Reineke joined the California Institute of Technology as an National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow in 2000.[1]

Reineke joined the University of Minnesota in 2011. Her research group focus on the design, characterisation and functionalisation of macromolecular systems.[4][5] These macromolecules include biocompatible polymers that can deliver DNA for regenerative medicine as well as targeted therapeutic treatments.[4] She was made a Lloyd H. Reyerson Professor with tenure at the University of Minnesota in 2011.[1] Reineke has published over 140 papers.

Nucleic acids can have an unparalleled specificity for targets inside a cell, but need to be compacted into nanostructures (polyplexes) that can enter cells.[6] Reineke designs polymer-based transportation systems for nucleic acids.[6] These polymer vehicles can improve the solubility and bioavailability of drugs.[7] These often incorporate carbohydrates, which have an affinity for polyplexes and are non-toxic.[6] She is a member of the University of Minnesota Centre for Sustainable Polymers, synthesising polymers from sustainable ingredients. The carbohydrate units within her polymer drug delivery systems are a widely available, renewable resource.[8] The sustainable polymers designed by Reineke include poly(ester-thioethers).[8]

Reineke used reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization for the synthesis of diblock terpolymers that can be used for targeted drug delivery.[9] She used spray dried dispersions of the polymer with the drug probucol.[10]

Reineke was made a University of Minnesota Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 2017.[1] She is the Associate Editor of ACS Macro Letters and on the Advisory Board of Biomacromolecules, Bioconjugate Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry.[11] She is a member of the American Chemical Society Polymer Division.[12] Her work has been supported by an National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the National Institutes of Health and the National Academy of Sciences.

• 2000 Outstanding Graduate Research Award from the Wirt and Mary Cornell Prize[1]
• 2003 American Chemical Society (PMSE Division), Arthur K. Doolittle Award[13]
• 2007 YWCA Rising Star[1]
• 2007 OH Bioscience Thirty in Their 30s Award[1]
• 2012 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Outstanding New Investigator Award[14]
• 2012 American Chemical Society, Polymer Materials: Science and Engineering Division Macro 2012 Lecture Award[15]
• 2016 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow[16]
• 2016 University of Minnesota Sara Evans Faculty Woman Scholar/Leader Award[17]
• 2016 University of Minnesota George W. Taylor Award for Distinguished Research[18]
• 2017 American Chemical Society Polymer Chemistry Division Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award[19]
• 2018 Danisco Foundation DuPont Nutrition and Health Science Excellence Medal[20][21]
• 2018 American Chemical Society POLY Fellow Award[22]
• 2018 Big 10 Alliance Academic Leadership Program Fellow[23]

• 2014 Monomers, polymers and articles containing the same from sugar derived compounds[24]
• 2018 Isosorbide-based polymethacrylates[25]

• The Reineke Research Group