Faculty

Hamideh Parhiz, PharmD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics

Department: Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics

Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information

421 Curie Boulevard
Biomedical Research Building II/III Room 1256
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Email:
hamideh.parhiz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Education:
PharmD (Pharmacy)
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2005.
PhD (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology)
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2011.

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Description of Research Expertise

Nucleic acid-based therapeutics
Nano-engineering
Targeted delivery of nanomedicine
mRNA therapeutics
Autoimmunity
Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

Research Interests:
Our lab develops novel nucleic acid delivery systems, including a new generation of targeted lipid nanoparticle (tLNP), for in vivo cellular reprogramming. We leverage these systems for mRNA-based therapeutics in a variety of non-vaccine applications such as inherited diseases, acquired or congenital hematopoietic conditions, cancers, fibrosis, and acute inflammatory conditions. We also investigate the mechanisms underlying the enhancement of delivery systems such as the ones related to more favorable pharmacokinetic profile, to apply those principles in designing more effective gene and mRNA therapeutics. Currently, the targeted LNP-mRNA platform we design serves as the foundation for ongoing academic programs and industrial product developments.

Selected Publications

Yashaswini CN, Cogliati B, Qin T, To T, Williamson T, Papp TE, Li K, Rasul R, Chen L, Lightstone A, Aghajanian H, Parhiz H, Wang S, Rurik JG, Epstein JA, Friedman SL.: Anti-FAP CAR T cells produced in vivo reduce fibrosis and restore liver homeostasis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Sci Transl Med 18: eadx0368, Jan 2026 Notes: Middle author contribution: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Hamideh Parhiz: Surface-modified delivery systems for stealth function. In: Harnessing Endogenous Mechanisms for Targeted Drug Delivery. Academic Press. Anisha A. D’Souza, Lara S. Milane and Mansoor M. Amiji (eds.). Elsevier, Jan 2026.

Zeng J, Papp TE, Akyianu A, Bahena A, Leo L, Halilovic F, Parhiz H: Rapid receptor internalization potentiates CD7-targeted lipid nanoparticles for efficient mRNA delivery to T cells and in vivo CAR T-cell engineering. bioRxiv Jan 2026 Notes: I lead my team here to demonstrate that the efficiency of tLNP was driven by rapid receptor internalization rather than receptor abundance, making internalization kinetics a key factor for optimal delivery.

Nakamichi S, von Muhlinen N, Yamada L, Melamed JR, Papp TE, Parhiz H, Weissman D, Horikawa I, Harris CC: SRSF3 knockdown-induced cellular senescence as a possible therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer. Carcinogenesis Nov 2025 Notes: Middle-Author Contribution: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Reyes-Esteves S, Majumder A, Marzolini N, Zamora M, Wang Y, Espy C, Papp TE, Akyianu A, Nong J, Messe L, Omo-Lamai S, Parhiz H, Myerson J, Marcos-Contreras O, Brenner J.: Targeted lipid nanoparticles containing IL-10 mRNA improve outcomes in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage. J Neuroinflammation Oct 2025 Notes: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Omo-Lamai S, Wang Y, Patel MN, Milosavljevic A, Zuschlag D, Poddar S, Wu J, Wang L, Dong F, Espy C, Majumder A, Essien EO, Shen M, Channer B, Papp TE, Tobin M, Maheshwari R, Jeong S, Patel S, Shah A, Murali S, Chase LS, Zamora ME, Arral ML, Marcos-Contreras OA, Myerson JW, Hunter CA, Discher D, Gaskill PJ, Tsourkas A, Muzykantov VR, Brodsky I, Shin S, Whitehead KA, Parhiz H, Katzen J, Miner JJ, Trauner D, Brenner JS.: Limiting endosomal damage sensing reduces inflammation triggered by lipid nanoparticle endosomal escape. Nat Nanotechnol 20(9), Sept 2025 Notes: Middle author contribution: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Shuvaev VV, Tam YK, Lee BW, Myerson JW, Herbst A, Kiseleva RY, Glassman PM, Parhiz H, Alameh MG, Pardi N, Muramatsu H, Shuvaeva TI, Arguiri E, Marcos-Contreras OA, Hood ED, Brysgel TV, Nong J, Papp TE, Eaton DM, Riley R, Palanki R, Musunuru K, Brenner JS, Mitchell MJ, Ferrari VA, Mui BL, Semple SC, Weppler SA, Atluri P, Margulies KB, Weissman D, Muzykantov VR.: Systemic delivery of biotherapeutic RNA to the myocardium transiently modulates cardiac contractility in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122(29): e2409266122, Jul 2025 Notes: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Papp TE, Zeng J, Shahnawaz H, Akyianu A, Breda L, Yadegari A, Steward J, Shi R, Li Q, Mui BL, Tam YK, Weissman D, Rivella S, Shuvaev V, Muzykantov VR, Parhiz H.: CD47 peptide-cloaked lipid nanoparticles promote cell-specific mRNA delivery. Mol Ther 33(7): 3195-3208, Jul 2025 Notes: In this paper, I led the team as corresponding author in further developing our previous studies on the off-target effects of LNP delivery systems and created strategies to reduce these effects and improve the safety profile of LNP treatments.

Nakamichi S, von Muhlinen N, Yamada L, Melamed JR, Papp TE, Parhiz H, Weissman D, Horikawa I, Harris CC.: SRSF3 knockdown-induced cellular senescence as a possible therapeutic strategy for non-small cell lung cancer. bioRxiv 46: bgaf082, May 2025 Notes: Preprint-Middle-Author Contribution: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.

Reyes-Esteves S, Majumder A, Marzolini N, Zamora M, Wang Y, Espy C, Papp TE, Akyianu A, Nong J, Messe L, Omo-Lamai S, Parhiz H, Myerson J, Marcos-Contreras O, Brenner J.: Targeted lipid nanoparticles containing IL-10 mRNA improve outcomes in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage. Res Sq 22: 234, Apr 2025 Notes: I provided data sets, analysis, contributed text, and helped revised the manuscript.