Jennifer Hennigan

Jennifer earned a BS in Chemistry from Stetson University in 2015. She is a PhD student in the Lynch lab.

Contact Information

  • Email Address: jennifer.hennigan@duke.edu

Research Interests

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a unique drug delivery challenge due to desmoplasia which includes physical changes to the extracellular matrix (ECM) barrier, and limits drug diffusion. Most notably the ECM components hyaluronan and collagen I are over-expressed and negatively correlate with survival. The use of recombinant hyaluronidase to degrade hyaluronan and promote diffusion is an attractive option that has shown promise in clinical trials. In addition, rapid proliferation and inadequate vasculature in the tumor elevates glycolysis, reducing extracellular pH. Considering these characteristics of the PDAC microenvironment, I am developing advanced PDAC therapies by combining enzyme and nanoparticle engineering.

 Honor:

 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention 2016

 Publication:

 Hennigan, J.N., & Grubbs, W. T. (2013). The Periodic Pyramid. Journal of Chemical Education, 90, 1003 - 1008.

 Posters:

Hennigan, J.N., & Grubbs, W. T. Periodic Pyramid of the Elements. Poster presented at the 245th American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2013.

Hennigan, J.N., & Grubbs, W.T. Cis-trans isomerization kinetics and thermodynamics probed using phosphorus-31 NMR: A new experiment for the physical or inorganic chemistry lab. Poster presented at the 247th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Dallas, TX, March 2014.