Dr. Aliasger K. Salem is the Bighley Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Iowa. He holds additional faculty appointments in CLAS (Chemistry), the College of Dentistry, and the College of Engineering, and is a member of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. He earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Nottingham and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before joining Iowa’s faculty in 2004.

Dr. Salem is an internationally recognized expert in nanotechnology, drug delivery, gene therapy, and vaccine development. He has published over 270 peer-reviewed articles and leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on drug discovery, development, formulation and delivery. His work has appeared in journals such as Nature Materials, Science Translational Medicine, Science Advances and Nature Nanotechnology.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Dr. Salem is an entrepreneur. He has co-founded several biotechnology companies, including Abscora, Polyimmunex, Starling Biosciences, Petrost Therapeutics, and S5G Therapeutics. These ventures focus on immunotherapy, cancer therapies, bone regeneration, and ocular disease treatment, respectively. His startups have received national recognition and support from programs like the NSF I-Corps.

Dr. Salem is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Controlled Release Society, and other prestigious scientific organizations. He has also received multiple teaching awards, highlighting his commitment to mentoring and education. Through research, entrepreneurship, and leadership, Dr. Salem continues to shape the future of pharmaceutical science and biomedical innovation.