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My future research interests are directed towards the use of ionic liquids (ILs) for therapeutic applications. Ionic liquids are organic salts with melting points below 100°C, and are composed entirely by ions. They are considered materials with unique and tunable properties (e.g. melting point, miscibility, polarity, or bioavailability) which can be adjusted by the proper selection of the ionic liquid’s cation and anion for a specific need. The possibility to modify the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of ionic liquids is what fascinates me, and makes them very attractive candidates for a wide range of applications. In fact, they can be used to enhance human health and well-being. In particular, I’m interested in developing biologically active ionic liquids for therapeutic applications.

Prior and Current Research Experience:

My research experiences have been at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering. I received my PhD in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology in December 2013, under the supervision of Prof. Charles A. Eckert and Prof. Charles L. Liotta. My PhD research work mainly focused towards the application of green chemistry and engineering principles; looking into ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption of a chemical process by employing green solvents. Currently, I’m a postdoctoral researcher working with Prof. Mark R. Prausnitz in the Laboratory for Drug Delivery at the Georgia Institute of Technology. My postdoctoral work involves the synthesis and characterization of ionic liquids to enhance topical delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Overall, all my research experiences have provided me a comprehensive set of techniques and expertise that will enable the success of my future research interests.

Teaching Interests:

I would like to improve society as a whole by providing it with better tools, but also by educating its members. I have been privileged to have the experience of both, teaching in a classroom and mentoring students in the lab. I have been a teaching assistant in a couple of undergraduate/graduate courses including the mass and energy balance, and drug design, development, and delivery course. In addition, I have mentored both graduate and undergraduate students in the lab. My goal is to encourage their critical thinking, develop their written and oral communication skills, and prepare the students to be independent researchers. I look forward to teaching and developing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. My teaching interests include undergraduate and graduate level reaction engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, separations, and drug delivery courses. I’m also interested in teaching the chemical engineering laboratory courses.

Keywords: Ionic Liquids, Drug Delivery, Therapeutic