Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Faculty mentor: Aliasger Salem, PhD, Lyle and Sharon Bighley Endowed Chair and professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Scienecs and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy
Degree program and anticipated graduation date: PhD in pharmaceutics, May 2026

Esraa Mohamed is designing a drug delivery system, a technology that transports medicine to its target area in the body, to treat the effects of chlorine gas exposure. Chlorine is among the most widely produced and used chemicals that humans can encounter, either accidentally or intentionally. The gas is a powerful lung irritant, which can damage the cells lining the airways, harming respiratory health and causing fatalities in severe exposures. No treatment exists for chlorine exposure, but Mohamed’s research aims to change this by creating potential for treatments that can save lives and address lung injuries after chlorine exposure.

After graduation, Mohamed plans to secure an industry position in pharmaceutical research and development, focusing on developing drug delivery systems and formulating medicines and bringing new therapies to market.

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