b'PUSHING BOUNDARIES TO TRANSFORM TREATMENTGrant Funding Propels Boettcher Investigators Promising Work WRITTEN BY AMANDA CARYPhotography by Sara HertwigM eganHill,Ph.D.hasstudiedHill is one of eight 2023 Boettcher Investigatorsas sustained release of drugs or to spray on polymers since the early stagesunited in this endeavor of researching bio- an organ to prevent bleeding after surgery. of her journey in chemistry. As itmedical topics to save and change patientHydrogels have the opportunity to revolu-turns out, she shares something in commonlives. Each year, the Boettcher Foundationtionize many aspects of medical treatment with these molecules she has dedicated herselects high-potential, early-career Coloradoand disease targeting, Hill said. Being able career to investigating: the principle that smallresearchers to receive the Webb-Waringto target those specific diseases and con-changes lead to major impacts is as true forBiomedical Research Awarda $235,000ditions will absolutely make this technology polymer chemistry as it is for the impact ofgrant to fund up to three years of biomedicalcome to life. Its clear that hydrogels have all Hills work. research. This years award winners come fromthese amazing propertiesthey interface I always found polymer chemistry reallyfour Colorado research institutions: Coloradowith biology, theyre full of water, you can interesting because we get to do the actualStateUniversity,UniversityofColoradotune the properties to make them similar chemical synthesis. So, in the lab, making mol- Anschutz Medical Campus, University ofto your tissuesbut to not be able to fully ecules; but then, we get to see how makingColorado Boulder, and National Jewish Health.control those properties or predict how they those molecules influences the behavior onIn its 13 years, the program has providedare going to change when theyre in the body a more macroscopic level, said Hill, Assistantcritical funds to support exploratory researchis something that is a big hindrance in their Professor of Chemistry at Colorado Statetopics. And this year is no exception. Fromapplication right now. University. You get to say, wow, this is totallystudying the mechanics of mucus organizationAbout 70 miles south of Hills lab in Fort Collins different because of these small changes Ito macrophages and smoking-induced lungis another Boettcher Investigator exploring the made to the chemical structure.disease, the investigators and their researchpossibilities at the intersection of technology The way researchers like Hill work to advancetopics have the potential to push the bound- and medicine, focused on artificial intelligence health innovation reflects how incrementalaries of what is currently possible in medicine.and natural language processing. changes make bigger impacts. The processEXPLORING LIFE-SAVINGNeelButala,M.D.,M.B.A.,anAssistant begins on a smaller levelwith a problemPOSSIBILITIES FOR PATIENTSProfessor of Cardiology at the University of or questionand often, without knowledgeColorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has of the full impact the work may have. OverHill is applying her Webb-Waring awardalways been interested in creating long-time, this seemingly small-scale impact has thefunding towards studying how to control andlasting, systems-level change, but in a way that potential to revolutionize the entire system,predict hydrogel properties in order to useallows him to stay close to patients and the allowing practitioners to do things in newer,them for various biomedical applications, suchindividuals impacted by his work. He will use more efficient ways. 2023-2024 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 31'