Elizabeth M. Topp

Elizabeth M. Topp is a Professor of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, where she also serves as the Director of the William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for the Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals. She holds a concurrent position as a Principal Investigator at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) in Dublin, Ireland, having previously served as NIBRT's Chief Scientific Officer from 2019 to 2023. Her research addresses the formulation and stability of protein drugs and other biologics, with particular emphasis on the amorphous solid state.

Dr. Topp pioneered the application of solid-state hydrogen-deuterium exchange as a method for characterizing the stability of lyophilized biopharmaceutical formulations. Her current research extends to the mechanisms of chemical and physical degradation of mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNP) in solution and in the solid state. In 2015, she co-founded the industry-university consortium LyoHUB for advancing pharmaceutical lyophilization technology.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Topp has held several leadership positions, including Department Head and Dane O. Kildsig Chair in the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy at Purdue University (2009-2017) and faculty member at the University of Kansas Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1986-2009). She has been recognized with numerous honors, including election as a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (2010), the Chaney Faculty Scholar Award from Purdue's College of Pharmacy, and the Michael J. Pikal NIPTE Distinguished Scholar Award in Pharmaceutical Processing.

Dr. Topp earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, a master's degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in pharmaceutics from the University of Michigan. She has been instrumental in the Merck-Lilly-Purdue collaboration at the LEAP Innovation District in Indiana, representing a significant commitment to domestic manufacturing excellence.