By Caylee Dial, College of Arts and Sciences
The Department of Chemistry named Jianfeng Cai the inaugural Julie Harmon Endowed Chair in Chemistry, a move that not only recognizes Cai鈥檚 research and goals to advance biomedical innovation, but also honors the legacy of the late Julie Harmon, a pioneering polymer chemist who taught at USF for over 25 years.
The designation carries deep personal meaning for Cai, who worked closely with Harmon.
鈥淒r. Julie Harmon established this endowed chair position before her passing, reflecting her lasting commitment to our chemistry program,鈥 said Cai. 鈥淚 am honored and humbled to carry forward Professor Harmon鈥檚 legacy and to maintain a lasting connection to her enduring influence and vision. It means a lot to me.鈥
Cai鈥檚 research involves the creation of AApeptides 鈥 synthetic molecules that behave like proteins or peptides in the body 鈥 and biodegradable polymers for use in medical research. Designed to resist degradation, these molecules may be used to regulate protein functions in key cellular processes and advance chemical biology research focused on human health.
鈥淚 hope the AApeptide molecular framework and biodegradable polymer that are developed in our lab can be applied to the biomedical field to design potential therapeutic agents combating cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and infectious disease,鈥 Cai said.
As endowed chair, Cai hopes to strengthen not only the department but the university as a whole through interdisciplinary collaboration, research and mentorship. The appointment will grant him the time to advance his research, work more closely with graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and hire assistants to contribute directly to his ongoing projects.
鈥淚t is wonderful that we鈥檙e able to have the very first Julie Harmon Endowed Chair be Professor Jianfeng Cai because of his own pioneering work in studying polymers built from his proprietary AApeptides as well as the fact that he and Julie were colleagues for more than a decade鈥 said James Leahy, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry.