About Dr. Mei
Dr. Kuo-Ching (KC) Mei is an Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy, a nationally ranked top-10 pharmacy institution by research funding. Trained as a pharmacist in Taiwan, he brings integrated experience spanning pharmaceutical formulation science, international doctoral training, and academic research to the development of advanced therapeutic delivery platforms.
Dr. Mei earned his BS in Pharmacy and pharmacist licensure in Taiwan and spent three years in the pharmaceutical industry as a formulation scientist specializing in complex controlled-release dosage forms. He received his MRes (with distinction) from the UCL School of Pharmacy and his PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at King’s College London. He completed postdoctoral training at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where his work focused on immunoengineering and biotherapeutic delivery. Prior to joining the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah in July 2025, Dr. Mei served as a tenure-track faculty member at the SUNY Binghamton School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, ranked among the top 10 U.S. public Ivies (Forbes, 2024).
The Mei Laboratory focuses on the synthesis, formulation, and molecular engineering of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and related delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics, with applications in cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy for rare diseases. Dr. Mei’s research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, including a 2024 NIGMS R35 MIRA Award for Early Stage Investigators, as well as by the Foundation for Eradicating Duchenne. His laboratory is also affiliated with the Huntsman Cancer Institute (a NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center). Dr. Mei’s research aligns with the Experimental Therapeutics Program, where he contributes to the development of novel cancer therapeutics.
Dr. Mei is committed to the training of future pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists and to advancing delivery technologies that improve the safety, specificity, and translational impact of modern biotherapeutics.
The Lipid Chemistry Tree
The Mei Laboratory’s work in liposomes and lipid nanoparticles is shaped by Dr. Mei’s training across multiple research environments in the United Kingdom and the United States, where lipid-based delivery systems were studied from complementary perspectives encompassing pharmaceutics, gene delivery, nanomedicine, and immunology. This lineage of mentorship and scientific influence—referred to as the Lipid/Chemistry Tree—defines the intellectual foundations of the lab’s approach to delivery science. Additional details on Dr. Mei’s academic training and mentorship background are available on the [Lipid/Chemistry Tree] page.