Heather D. Maynard

About

Heather D. Maynard is the Dr. Myung Ki Hong Professor in Polymer Science, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and a founding member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. She is also the Co-Director of the National Science Foundation BioPACIFIC Materials Innovation Platform. Maynard is a worldwide leader in the area of protein-polymer conjugates, which are important therapeutics for a variety of diseases. She develops new synthetic methods to make the materials, invents new polymers to improve properties such as stability, and demonstrates preclinical efficacy of her conjugates with an eye towards translation for human health. Maynard also works in the area of smart materials for precision medicine: materials that respond to disease states in the body. Her research lies at the frontiers of polymer chemistry and medicine, focusing on fundamental science and applications in drug delivery. Her group has made extensive contributions to the field of protein-polymer conjugates, including the use of controlled radical polymerizations for grafting to proteins and synthesizing complex conjugates. Additionally, her work on responsive drugs involves creating materials that sense low glucose levels to release therapeutics like glucagon, with ongoing efforts to develop nanoparticles for treating nocturnal hypoglycemia. She is also engaged in the synthesis of biomimetic and bioderived materials, exploring natural molecule mimics and high throughput systems biology…

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Polymer chemistry
• Materials science
• Combinatorial chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Selected publications

• Synthesis and Application of Trehalose Materials

  JACS Au · 2022-07-06 · 73 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Trehalose is a naturally occurring, nonreducing disaccharide that is widely used in the biopharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries due to its stabilizing and cryoprotective properties. Over the years, scientists have developed methodologies to synthesize linear polymers with trehalose units either in the polymer backbone or as pendant groups. These macromolecules provide unique properties and characteristics, which often outperform trehalose itself. Additionally, numerous reports have focu…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• In situ analysis of osmolyte mechanisms of proteome thermal stabilization

  Nature Chemical Biology · 2024-02-29 · 44 citations

  articleOpen access

  Organisms use organic molecules called osmolytes to adapt to environmental conditions. In vitro studies indicate that osmolytes thermally stabilize proteins, but mechanisms are controversial, and systematic studies within the cellular milieu are lacking. We analyzed Escherichia coli and human protein thermal stabilization by osmolytes in situ and across the proteome. Using structural proteomics, we probed osmolyte effects on protein thermal stability, structure and aggregation, revealing common…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Modification of proteins using olefin metathesis

  Materials Chemistry Frontiers · 2020-01-01 · 40 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Olefin metathesis has revolutionized synthetic approaches to carbon-carbon bond formation. With a rich history beginning in industrial settings through its advancement in academic laboratories leading to new and highly active metathesis catalysts, olefin metathesis has found use in the generation of complex natural products, the cyclization of bioactive materials, and in the polymerization of new and unique polymer architectures. Throughout this review, we will trace the deployment of olefin met…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ultrafast Au(III)-Mediated Arylation of Cysteine

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2024-04-24 · 37 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Through mechanistic work and rational design, we have developed the fastest organometallic abiotic Cys bioconjugation. As a result, the developed organometallic Au(III) bioconjugation reagents enable selective labeling of Cys moieties down to picomolar concentrations and allow for the rapid construction of complex heterostructures from peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides. This work showcases how organometallic chemistry can be interfaced with biomolecules and lead to a range of reactivities…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Polymer-mediated protein/peptide therapeutic stabilization: Current progress and future directions

  Progress in Polymer Science · 2024-08-08 · 36 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Well-Defined Protein-Polymer Conjugates Prepared by Controlled Radical Polymerization

  NSF · $405k · 2004–2008

• Telechelic polymers by RAFT polymerization and application to stable bFGF-polymer conjugates

  NSF · $423k · 2008–2011

• NIH Grant R21EB005838

  NIH · $370k · 2008

Frequent coauthors

• Jeong Hoon Ko

  University of California, Los Angeles

  75 shared

• Alexander M. Spokoyny

  California NanoSystems Institute

  69 shared

• Marco S. Messina

  University of Delaware

  67 shared

• Juneyoung Lee

  Korea University

  56 shared

• Samantha J. Paluck

  University of California, Los Angeles

  53 shared

• Karen L. Christman

  University of California, San Diego

  47 shared

• Erhan Bat

  Middle East Technical University

  41 shared

• K. N. Houk

  University of California, Los Angeles

  38 shared

Awards & honors

• Election to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), 2025
• Herman F. Mark Senior Scholar Award, Polymer Chemistry Ameri…
• Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2023
• United Kingdom Outstanding Achievement Award (Macro Group),…
• American Chemical Society Fellow, 2021

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