Philip L. Leopold

Professor & Department Director

Faculty/Professor
Building: McLean
Room: 515
Phone: 201.216.8957
Fax: 201.216.8196
Email: pleopold@stevens.edu

Appointments Thesis Supervisor

Stevens Institute of Technology, Professor and Director, Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, & Biomedical Engineering, 2008 - present

Education

  • Georgetown University, B.S Biology 1987
  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Ph.D. Neuroscience, 1993
  • Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Aaron Diamond Post-Doctoral Fellow, 1993-1996

Research: 

Professor Leopold focuses his research on gene therapy - viral mimics, host - virus interactions, and gene expression in human disease. He is an integral researcher in the field of Tissue Engineering, implementing the use of nanotechnology to revolutionize approaches for skin grafting, bone, nerve and cardiac cell regeneration.

Dr. Leopold Prof recently received funding to study "Rigid cationic carotenoid lipids as novel miRNA delivery vectors." In this role he will serve as Co-Principal on this project funded by the Qatar National Research Fund. The proposal will provide Prof. Leopold with $243,000 to support evaluation of new gene delivery vectors.

He has been awarded a patent for his invention “Crystal RG, Sato N, Leopold PL. Method of modulating hair growth. United States Patent #6,159,950”. He is a member of the New York Society of Experimental Microscopists, the Harvey Society, and the American Society for Gene Therapy, Education Committee Chair. Honors and awards have included the Georgetown University Biology Medal, Weill Medical College Excellence in Teaching Award, and Weill Medical College Charles L. Bardes Teaching Prize.

Experience

Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

  • Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in Medicine, 1996-2004
  • Assistant Professor of Genetic Medicine, 2000-2004
  • Associate Professor of Genetic Medicine, 2004-2008
  • Associate Professor of Biochemistry in Medicine, 2004-2008

Research Projects Interests

  • Intracellular trafficking of viruses
  • Gene therapy
  • Genetic diseases

Visit the Leopold Laboratory

Technogenesis: 

  • Mentor, Shyam Shah, Technogenesis Scholar, 2009, 2010

Publications

  1. Kiuru M, Hidaka C, Hubner R-H, Krause A, Leopold PL, Crystal RG. (2009) "Transient systemic overexpression of Sonic hedgehog mediates expansion of diaphyseal trabecular bone with associated amplification of the hematopoietic stem cell niche.", Molecular Therapy, Vol. 17, p. 1442-1452.

  2. Vincent T, Neve EPA, Johnson JR, Kukalev A, Rojo F, Albanell J, Pietras K, Virtanen I, Philipson L, Leopold PL, Crystal RG, de Herreros AG, Moustakas A, Pettersson RF, Fuxe J. (2009) "A Snail-Smad transcriptional repressor complex promotes TGF-β-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition", Nature Cell Biology, Vol. 11, p. 943-950.

  3. Leopold PL,* O’Mahony MJ,* Lian XJ,* Harvey BG, Crystal RG (2009) "Smoking is associated with shortened airway cilia", PLoS ONE, Vol. 4( 12), p. e8157.

  4. Hubner R-H, Kiuru M, Krause A, Leopold PL, Crystal RG. (2009) "Dysfunction in glycogen storage with metabolic consequences in a mouse model of Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency", Am. J. Resp. Cell Molec. Biol., Vol. 40, p. 239-247.

  5. Saitoh H, Leopold PL, Harvey B-G, O'Connor TP, Worgall S, Hackett NR, Crystal RG (2009) "Emphysema Mediated by Lung Overexpression of ADAM10", Clin Transl Sci, Vol. 2, p. 50-56.

  6. Song Y, Lou HH, Boyer JL, Limberis MP, Vandenberghe LH, Hackett NR, Leopold PL, Wilson JM, Crystal RG (2009) "Functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator expression in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells by AAV6.2-mediated segmental trans-splicing", Hum Gene Ther, Vol. 20, p. 267-281.

  7. Berth SB, Leopold PL, Morfini G. (2009) "Virus-induced neuronal dysfunction and degeneration.", Frontiers in Bioscience, Vol. 14, p. 5239-5259.

  8. Leopold PL, Crystal RG (2007) "Intracellular trafficking of adenovirus: Many means to many ends", Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Vol. 59, p. 810-821.

  9. Leopold PL (2007) "Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine", T. Vo-Dinh, Taylor and Francis, Inc./CRC Press Inc., London.

  10. Leopold PL (2007) "Viruses as Mentors for Nano-scale Drug Delivery", Eighth Annual Nanobiotechnology Symposium, Cornell University Nanobiotechnology Center.

  11. Leopold PL, Pfister KK (2006) "Viral strategies for intracellular trafficking: motors and microtubules", Traffic, Vol. 7, p. 516-523.

  12. Leopold PL, Wendland R, Vincent T, Crystal RG (2006) "Neutralized adenovirus-immune complexes can mediate effective gene transfer via a Fc receptor-dependent infection pathway", Journal of Virology, Vol. 80, p. 10237-10247.

  13. Kelkar S, De B, Gao G, Wilson JM, Crystal RG, Leopold PL (2006) "A common mechanism for cytoplasmic dynein-dependent microtubule binding shared among adeno-associated virus and adenovirus serotypes", Journal of Virology, Vol. 80, p. 7781-7785.

  14. Lou H, Crystal RG, Leopold PL (2005) "Enhanced in vivo efficacy of cholesterol-minus Sonic hedgehog", Molecular Therapy, Vol. 12, p. 575-578.

Awards and Honors

  • Georgetown University Biology Medal, 1987
  • Weill Medical College Excellence in Teaching Award, 2002
  • Weill Medical College Charles L. Bardes Teaching Prize, 2005

Professional Organizations and Societies

  • New York Society of Experimental Microscopists, President, 2001-2003
  • Harvey Society, 2003-present 
  • American Society for Gene Therapy, Education Committee Chair, 2006-2008

Patents/Inventions

Crystal RG, Sato N, Leopold PL. Method of modulating hair growth. United States Patent #6,159,950.

Grants/Contracts/Funds

  • "Rigid cationic carotenoid lipids as novel miRNA delivery vectors." Collaboration with Prof. Michael Pungente, Weill Cornell Medical College - Qatar, Doha, Qatar, and Profs. Vassilia Partali and Richard Sliwka, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Funding agency: Qatar National Research Foundation.
  • "Math Science Partnership Proposal 2010: Curriculum Topic Study to Enhance Achievement in Mathematics and Science (C-TEAMS)." Collaboration with Mercedes McKay, Stevens Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education. Funding agency: New Jersey Department of Education.
  •  "PURE/Technogenesis Program: Research Funding for the Technogenesis Scholarship Program." Funding agency: Independent College Fund of New Jersey/Pfizer Foundation: Pfizer Undergraduate Research Endeavors.

Academic Activities/Services

  • Faculty Mentor, Stevens Men's Soccer Team