Ainslie Lab

01/12/2026

Dueling electorsprays

01/09/2026

I recently had the opportunity to speak with our School of Pharmacy about how I use AI in my work as a professor.

The content is mine, and heavy editing and reference checks occur, but AI gets the work done faster and with fewer errors.

Rather than replacing expertise, I use AI as a practical tool for clarity, organization, and efficiency. I use it especially for writing letters of recommendation, structuring NIH grants, and refining scientific communication - taking my words and writing and organizing them better.

I wrote a short Substack post sharing real examples of what works, what doesn’t, and where I draw the line when using AI in academia.

https://go.unc.edu/AISubSt

01/06/2026

Wrapping up the year by celebrating the Top 10 Ainslie Lab papers (by citations + social buzz).

Proud of this team and grateful for our collaborators. Here’s to another year of impactful immunoengineering!

10. Clark et al. Antigen-Specific Inverse Vaccination Strategies Using Particle Systems for MS. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5c01072

9. Pena et al. Optimizing delivery in a multivalent subunit influenza vaccine using mixed polymeric microparticle degradation rates. Journal of Controlled Release. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113936

8. Graham-Gurysh et al. Post-resection delivery of a TLR7/8 agonist from a biodegradable scaffold achieves immune-mediated glioblastoma clearance and protection against tumor challenge in mice. Nat Comm. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63692-9

7. Woodring et al. Biodegradable nanofibrous scaffolds enhance standard of care for glioblastoma via localized targeted therapy. Journal of Controlled Release. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12459348/

6. Williamson et al. Acetalated dextran: a novel delivery platform for particle-based vaccines. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2024.2442671

5. Ontiveros-Padilla et al. Broadly active intranasal influenza vaccine with a nanocomplex particulate adjuvant targeting mast cells and toll-like receptor 9. Journal of Controlled Release. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113855

4. Murphy et al. Mast cell activators as adjuvants for intranasal mucosal vaccines. International Journal of Pharmaceutics https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12577933/

3. Stiepel et al. Induction of Antigen-Specific Tolerance in a MS Model without Broad Immunosuppression. ACS Nano. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c14698

2. Woodring et al. Supervised machine learning for predicting drug release from acetalated dextran nanofibers. Biomaterial Science. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5BM00259A

1. Barbery et al. Biodegradable Polymers for Application as Robust Immunomodulatory Biomaterial Carrier Systems. Small. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202409422

01/06/2026

Especially now, most programs interview many strong applicants and admit only a few. How you present your research, ask questions, and evaluate advisor fit matters more than most students realize.

Yes, they’re evaluating you, but you should also be evaluating them. Advisor fit matters, and a bad mentor can make even a great project miserable.

Graduate school is a job. Interview like you want to be hired and make sure you’re choosing wisely!

https://go.unc.edu/STEMGradInterviews

01/06/2026

Excited to share our new preprint on BioRxiv: “Novel compounds derived from AR-12 that demonstrate host-directed clearance of intracellular Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium.”

Our work highlights a host-directed approach that disrupts the cellular pathways Salmonella exploits, offering a promising strategy to combat intracellular and drug-resistant infections.

If you’re interested in host-directed therapies, antibiotic resistance, or novel therapeutic strategies, check out the preprint on BioRxiv (https://go.unc.edu/Salmonella2025Preprint) or Substack (https://go.unc.edu/Salmonella2025PreprintSubSt)

12/30/2025

New year, new social media experiment.

I’m starting to explore Substack as a space to share both my research and some of the behind-the-scenes lessons that come with it. It’s been a refreshing platform to write more thoughtfully about science, funding, and the realities of academic life.

So far, I’ve posted:
• A breakdown of writing and reviewing proposals under the new NIH review criteria (Factors 1, 2, and 3)

https://go.unc.edu/NIHfactorproposals

• Plain-language summaries of our top 10 most cited and discussed papers from 2025

https://go.unc.edu/AinslieTop10of2025

My goal is to share insights that are useful to trainees, early-career faculty, and anyone interested in biomedical research, grant writing, or how ideas move from proposal to publication.

If that sounds interesting, I’d love for you to check it out and follow along. I call the site 'Kristy Engineers Immunity'. https://substack.com/?

12/16/2025

12/15/2025

Peppermint cupcakes to spread some holiday cheer! Dark chocolate cake with white chocolate peppermint chips, topped with peppermint crumb buttercream and peppermint chocolate bark.

12/12/2025

Coming back from Ryan's defense!

12/12/2025

Congrats Ryan Woodring on your successful PhD defense! 🎉

12/12/2025

12/09/2025

Ryan's defense celebration! 🎊