Achievement

A number of disease states from aging to cancer have implicated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in their pathophysiology. The research focus of IGERT fellow Chris Kakidas is in vitro development of an extremely sensitive nanosensor for detection of representative ROS and RNS – hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO). IGERT fellow Codi Gharagouzloo’s research focus is in the area of MRI contrast enhancement. He has developed a mathematical model relating SPION concentration, physiological location and magnetic field strength utilizing novel pulse sequences that will help improve contrast enhancement using magnetic nanoparticles. Stacey Markovic, IGERT fellow, is working with fluorescence imaging of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) as a platform as a diagnostic technique. The combination of nanomedicine with fluorescence imaging allows researchers to monitor NPs in vivo, non-invasively, and serially.