(7aa) Engineering Optical Nanomaterials for Biological Sensing and Imaging

The recent revolution in the development of nanomaterials with unique optical, chemical and material properties shows great promise for engineering sensitive and specific sensors of biological activity at critical temporal and spatial scales. My doctoral and postdoctoral training in micro and nanoscale microfluidics, engineering, and background in physics provide me with a diverse and ideal toolset for designing new infrared fluorescent nanosensors alongside building new microscopy systems for molecular imaging in vivo. My research centers on engineering nanosensors using synthetic DNA molecules, which affords precise control over modular synthesis, chemical diversity, and functionalization of optical nanomaterials, including silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) and semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). I show that DNA-functionalized AgNCs can be utilized in the design of fluorescent probes for the sensitive and specific detection of both nucleic acids and the neurotransmitter dopamine. My postdoctoral research has leveraged my knowledge in DNA-based sensing to adapting a DNA-functionalized SWNT sensor for in vivo study of dopamine neuromodulation, critical to our understanding of both brain function and psychiatric disease. Towards this goal, I developed a dual infrared imaging microscope in which two-photon excitation of DNA-SWNT nanosensors is accomplished using a 1600 nm pulsed erbium laser, pushing both excitation and emission into the near-infrared, where dopamine imaging photons are minimally scattered by brain tissue. My imaging microscope enables dopamine nanosensor imaging 2 mm deep into a brain tissue phantom with minimal scattering of light compared to single-photon excitation. My future research will merge nanosensors with this deep-tissue microscopy for non-invasive in vivo imaging of the living brain. In parallel, I will pursue techniques that expand the molecular recognition capabilities of both SWNT- and AgNCs-based fluorescent sensors to detecting other families of biomolecules.

Teaching Interests:

My diverse technical background and teaching experience has prepared me to teach a variety of course topics including mechanics, statistical mechanics, electronics and transport, with a personal emphasis on productively integrating hands-on, discovery-based laboratory curriculum with a foundational theoretical background. I intend to leverage my previous experience as a mentor both in the classroom and in the laboratory to provide the guidance needed for undergraduate and graduate students to grow into independent thinkers and scientists and prepare them to approach new challenges they may encounter in the world. Previous experience working in laboratory settings comprised of diverse technical backgrounds will aid me in growing and managing a research group that can excel at tackling interdisciplinary problems at the intersections of physics, engineering and biology.