Nanomedicine, coined for the application of nanotechnology to medicine, shows great potential to impact healthcare. For patients with cancer and other deadly diseases, I am striving to develop innovative multifunctional nanoparticles based nanomedicine that integrates imaging, diagnosis and therapy in one nanoscale platform to achieve more effective treatment.
For healthy people, early detection of cancer is very important because treatment is often simpler and more effective when cancer is diagnosed at an early stage. I am actively collaborating with medical doctors to develop user friendly and low-cost biosensors that detect circulating biomarkers in blood with high sensitivity and specificity.
My ultimate goal is to turn the biosensors into mobile health devices that bring the clinic to patients and assist in cancer screening. Nanoparticles can be used to fight cancer, but, uncontrolled in the environment, they can be a health risk. My research also focuses on studying the toxicology of nanoparticles and identifying early markers of adverse health effects and injuries.
My research focuses on (1) In vivo: multifunctional nanoparticles to deliver imaging reagents and therapeutic reagents for disease imaging and therapy; (2) Ex vivo: nanoparticles based biosensor for cancer early detection and surveillance; and (3) Nanotoxicology: the effects of nanoparticles on disease development.
As a teacher, I will strive to encourage excellence in my students and myself. I believe teaching is to nurture scientific thinking and independent learning. My ultimate goal is to grow with my students and give my students and myself the fulfillment and exhilaration of learning.