The Haarberg 3D Center is a center for excellence in drug development. The primary objective of the (SDBOR) funded Haarberg 3D Center is to develop an integrated Drug, Disease and Delivery (3D) framework for drug development and build university, industry, and clinical (UIC) partnerships to accelerate the translation of new treatments for cancer and other diseases.
The Haarberg 3D Center work is possible through grant funding and because of Kevin and Lorie Haarberg. The Haarberg 3D Center was established in 2021 through a 5-year, $3.9 million award from the South Dakota Research and Commercialization Council and a $1.1 million gift from Kevin and Lorie Haarberg. Additional grant funding also facilitates center work: in FY23, $2.75 million in external grant funding was brought in for Haarberg 3D Center projects. Kevin and Lorie Haarberg have been key partners of ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2010 and have a planned gift of an additional $10 million for the center, ensuring continued success of Haarberg 3D Center work.
Drug repurposing is a key focus of Haarberg 3D Center research. Development and distribution of new drugs can consume extensive time and resources. Drug repurposing involves research into the modification of existing drugs for new purposes, evaluation of existing drugs for additional or alternative applications, or resynthesis of existing drugs, and can significantly reduce the time and resources needed to bring a new drug to the market. The Haarberg 3D Center has set a goal to repurpose, reapply or resynthesize a drug by 2030.
Our Mission and Vision
The vision of the Haarberg 3D Center is to become a nationally recognized and locally relevant center of excellence for drug development. The center’s mission is to build the infrastructure, partnerships and network for the translation and commercialization of new treatments for cancer and other diseases, vis-à -vis train the biomedical workforce and create jobs to promote economic development in the state. The center will integrate the existing multidisciplinary strengths in Drug, Disease and Delivery research at South Dakota State University, and other universities, clinical and industry partners to develop and commercialize technologies for human and animal diseases.
Our Goals
Goal 1:
Development and translation of new treatments for cancer and other diseases. The Haarberg 3D Center will leverage the current IP portfolio to match industry needs to expedite the preclinical and clinical development of new treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Goal 2:
Development of new IP/technologies for animal and human health. The Haarberg 3D Center will issue RFPs to support pipeline projects and new projects in animal and human health. The seed grant program will be used to generate preliminary data for external funding, develop partnerships and advance research commercialization.
Goal 3:
Foster entrepreneurship and strengthen the biomedical/pharmaceutical workforce in the state. The Haarberg 3D Center will conduct training workshops for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students in the areas of drug development, regulatory approval, intellectual property and entrepreneurship.
Projects
The Haarberg 3D Center has two main projects and series of pilot projects.
Pilot Projects
Saikat Basu is an Assistant Professor in ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Basu’s work will seek to develop and design a digital platform that will assess the targeted delivery of a wide range of nasal spray and oral inhaler products.
Rachel Willand-Charnley is an Assistant Professor in ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Dr. Willand-Charnley’s work will explore the use of antibody-enzyme conjugate to sensitize colon cancer cells to the immune system. The outcomes from this work will help in developing new therapeutic approaches for colon cancer.
Pilar De la Puente is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Dakota and a scientist at Sanford Research. Dr. de la Puente will seek to study the effects of age on macrophage-influenced aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling using a patient-derived 3D tissue culture model. In addition to filling gaps in knowledge, this work will also develop novel technologies to further cancer research.
Sunil Mor is an Assistant Professor in ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ’s Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Mor’s work will seek to develop and test a novel viral vectored vaccine to protect pigs against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.
Dr. Rajesh Sani, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Health Sciences at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Dr. Scott Wood, Associate Professor in the Department of Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Haarberg 3D Center News
Faculty Feature: Joshua Reineke
Center Director and Associate Director
Joshua Reineke
Associate Professor/Haarberg Drug, Disease and Delivery Research Center Director
College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Hemachand Tummala
Department Head/Professor
College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences