Nanomedicine: A Soft Matter Perspective

The unprecedented potential of nanotechnology for early detection, diagnosis, and personalized treatment of diseases has found application in every biomedical imaging modality. However, with the increasing concern about the ethical and toxicity issues associated with some "nanoplatforms," biomedical researchers are in pursuit of safer, more precise

About the Author

Prof. Dipanjan Pan joined the University of Illinois in 2013. Previously, he was an assistant professor of medicine, research at the Division of Cardiology, Washington University in St. Louis. He also served as a full faculty member of Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University. After receiving his PhD in chemistry, he pursued a postdoctoral career in polymer science and nanotechnology at the Department of Chemistry, Washington University, in St. Louis. Soon, after a brief stint in the industry (General Electric biosciences/healthcare), Dr. Pan joined the Washington University faculty in 2007.

Prof. Pan's research is broadly aimed at developing clinically translatable defined nanoparticle platforms for molecular imaging, drug delivery, and nonviral gene delivery applications. His research is highly multidisciplinary, which brings skills from synthetic chemistry, nanoengineering, molecular biology, and preclinical animal models. Prof. Pan is a co-inventor of several engineered nanoplatforms for molecular imaging and therapeutic application. His research covers several imaging modalities, including MRI, CT, optical, PET/SPECT, and photoacoustic imaging. His work has been commercialized for preclinical application and externally supported by federal agencies such as NIH, AHA, as well as the Children's Discovery Institute.