Dr. Alberto Hidalgo, a fellow of the DZL Academy has been awarded approximately €100,000 through the GOBio-Initial-Program, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). He is a recent addition to the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI, Helmholtz Munich/DZL site Munich, CPC-M) as Postdoc in the group of DZL PI Otmar Schmid.
Dr. Hidalgo’s research focuses on improving treatments for diseases affecting the lungs' poorly ventilated distal airways. Current aerosol-based therapies often fail to reach these areas effectively, leading to suboptimal results. To address this challenge, the INTERDEL project introduces an innovative drug delivery platform using interfacial carriers. Unlike traditional methods, these carriers can "surf" along the thin fluid lining of the lungs, delivering drugs more efficiently to deeper, harder-to-reach regions of the lung.
The GOBio Initial funding will support efforts to prepare this groundbreaking approach for real-world application. Key priorities include understanding clinical needs, securing intellectual property, evaluating regulatory pathways, and conducting market analysis. Additionally, Dr. Hidalgo aims to build a strong, multidisciplinary team to ensure a smooth transition from research to clinical use and commercialization.