(5x) Nanobiotechnology: Fundamental Physical Studies of Biological and Engineered Soft Matter for Applications in Nanomedicine

Nanomedicine, an offshoot of nanotechnology, seeks to develop highly specific medical intervention at the molecular scale by developing smart nanomaterials and nanomachines that can autonomously detect, cure or replace damaged and diseased cells and tissues. A major challenge in nanomedicine is to develop a complete and thorough understanding of the physical and chemical properties of biological structure and design as well as developing smarter strategies for designing artificial autonomous nanomachines that can work synergistically within the human body to provide more efficient medical therapies. My ultimate research goal is to address this challenge by developing novel biophysical and biochemical tools to probe and manipulate Nature's intricate biological structures to understand and treat diseases. I am also interested in designing efficient engineered nano-carriers of drugs that will work effectively within the body for specific treatments of diseased cells and tissues.