Dr. DiMaggio received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Tulane University in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of New Orleans in 2003. Her dissertation research involved designing and synthesizing biologically active molecules based on natural products as well as natural product synthesis. She also enjoyed an appointment as a Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2005-2006) where she focused on synthesizing functionalized nanomaterials to be used in basic studies as potential drug delivery systems. She gladly joined the Xavier Chemistry Department in 2003 where she has been at home ever since and conducts research on drug delivery and gene delivery systems using modified nanomaterials. She maintains a position as a Visiting Scholar in the Chemistry Department at the U of M and is currently serving as Past Chair of the Local Section of the American Chemical Society, of which she has been an active member since 1998. She is also a member of the ACS Organic Division and the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium.
Targeted Drug Delivery
Non-viral gene delivery
Nanomaterial synthesis and characterization
Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Testing of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Targeted Using Folic Acid-Conjugated Dendrimers Kevin J. Landmark, Stassi DiMaggio, Jesse Ward, Stefan Vogt, Seungpyo Hong, Alina Kotlyar, James E. Penner-Hahn, James R. Baker, Jr., Mark M. Banaszak Holl, Bradford G. Orr, ACS Nano (2008), 2(4), 773-783.
Interactions of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers with Survanta Lung Surfactant: The Importance of Lipid Domains. Erickson, Blake; DiMaggio, Stassi; Mullen, Douglas; Kelly, Christopher; Leroueil, Pascale; Berry, Stephanie; Baker, James; Orr, Bradford; Banaszak Holl, Mark. Langmuir (2008), 24(19), 11003-11008.
Cationic Nanoparticles Induce Nanoscale Disruption in Living Cell Plasma Membranes. Chen, Jiumei; Blunt, Jessica; Putchakayala, Krishna; Panama, Brian; Khan, Damian; Hong, Seungpyo; Mullen, Douglas; DiMaggio, Stassi; Som, Abhigyan; Tew, Greg; Lopatin, Anatoli; Baker, James; Orr, Bradford; Banaszak Holl, Mark. Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2009), 113(32), 11179-11185.
Enantioselective Syntheses of Both Enantiomers of Noranabasamine. Miao, Lei; Di Maggio, Stassi C.; Shu, Hong; Trudell, Mark L. Organic Letters (2009), 11(7), 1579-1582.
Ir-Catalyzed N-Heterocyclization for Enantioselective Synthesis of Noranabasamine. Miao, Lei; Di Maggio, Stassi C.; Shu, Hong; Trudell, Mark L. Synfacts (2009), 7, 773.
Hydroxyarylketones via Ring-Opening of Lactones with Aryllithium Reagents: An Expedient Synthesis of (±)-Anabasamine. Miao, Lei; DiMaggio, Stassi C.; Trudell, Mark L. Synthesis, in press.
