Enoch Toh, a junior engineering student, has been named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar. The prestigious award recognizes students pursuing careers in mathematics, science, and engineering. As a double major in computer science and molecular and cellular biology, Toh is dedicated to advancing AI-driven platforms that accelerate the development of precision medicines.

Research at the Intersection of AI and Gene Therapy
Toh is mentored by Hai-Quan Mao, director of the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and professor of materials science and engineering, and is developing novel machine learning-guided platforms for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) design. LNPs have emerged as a promising carrier for targeted gene delivery. However, their success depends on precise formulation optimization, which remains a challenge for current high-throughput screening methods. To address this, Toh is leading a team to develop a new LNP platform called the Framework for Active Learning-driven Compositional Optimization of Nanoparticles, also called FALCON. FALCON is identifying optimized LNPs to deliver their cargo to target cells highly and avoid off-target effects, enhancing the efficacy and safety profile of LNPs. Additionally, FALCON is designed to be significantly more data-efficient and exhaustive compared to traditional methods.

“This work represents a major step forward in nanoparticle formulation,” said Mao. “With FALCON, we can rapidly and efficiently pinpoint the best LNPs for gene delivery, ensuring both efficacy and safety in ways that were previously challenging.”

The development of FALCON marks a pivotal advancement in gene therapy, with broad implications for treating genetic disorders, cancer, and other diseases. As researchers continue to refine LNP-based treatments, FALCON offers a powerful tool to enhance their precision and impact.

Extensive Research Involvement and Recognition Beyond Hopkins
Toh has contributed to other interdisciplinary research efforts. He is an immunoengineering and data science intern at Red Abbey Labs, a neuropharmaceutical startup where he leads nanoparticle R&D efforts. During the summer of his sophomore year, he received a scholarship to participate in the Harvard Immunology Undergraduate Summer Research Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he worked on deep-learning-guided optimization of tumor-selective core promoters in Ming-Ru Wu’s synthetic immunity lab.

Toh’s research contributions have been widely recognized. He has co-authored multiple publications in leading journals, including Nature Biomedical Engineering, ACS Nano, Nature Chemical Engineering, Biomaterials, and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Additionally, his independent research has earned him both the 2023 Summer Provost Undergraduate Research Award and the Undergraduate Catalyst Award.

Most recently, he was selected for an oral presentation at the 27th American Society for Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting, where his abstract received a Meritorious Abstract Travel Award, an honor given to the highest-scoring abstracts. He also presented his work at the 2024 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting.

A Passion for Mentorship and Community Engagement
Outside of the lab, Toh is committed to mentorship and scientific outreach. As president of the Johns Hopkins University Immunology & Immunoengineering Club, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among students interested in immunology and engineering research. He also serves as a peer listener for A Place To Talk, a peer listening group for the Hopkins undergraduate community. In addition, he has worked as a teaching assistant for several courses, including intermediate probability and statistics, intro algorithms, and biomaterials I, and has tutored East Baltimore elementary students to address pandemic-related learning loss.

Looking Ahead
As he prepares for the next stage of his academic and professional journey, Toh is focused on expanding his research impact. He is working on publishing a first-author manuscript detailing his work on the FALCON platform. His goal is to lead a cross-disciplinary research group that integrates biology, engineering, and AI to develop data-driven systems for optimizing next-generation genetic therapies.

The Goldwater Scholarship recognizes the brightest young minds in STEM, and Toh’s accomplishments exemplify the spirit of the award. His innovative contributions to the field of AI-driven gene therapy optimization pave the way for transformative advances in precision medicine.

Story by Christine Wei.