Nanomedicine is defined as the medical application of nanotechnology. In the CNM, we focus on harnessing nanotechnology to more effectively diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases. Our entire bodies are exposed to the medicines that we take, which can lead to unpleasant side effects and minimize the amount of medicine that reaches the places where it is needed. Medications can be more efficiently delivered to the site of action using nanotechnology, resulting in improved outcomes with less medication.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Nanomedicine (CNM) brings together engineers, scientists, and clinicians working together under one roof on translation of novel drug and gene delivery technologies. The focus is to overcome major challenges to drug efficacy, including biological barriers to delivery, patient compliance, and toxicity. Furthermore, we educate and train the next generation of researchers to innovate at the interface of engineering, medicine, and the life sciences in the development of drug delivery technologies with potential for clinical implementation. We believe that collaboration and commitment to diversity are key in having the maximum impact on human health.
Translation
We design our nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation. What this means is that we strive for innovative simplicity and the use of components that have a history of medical safety, so that our nanomedicines can be tested in clinical trials and developed into useful products. To this end, we often design our platforms to mimic nature or select our systems based on how they naturally distribute in the body.
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10+ Start-Up Companies
To date, our faculty have co-founded more than 10 start-up companies. Learn more about our faculty.
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FDA Approved Products
Our faculty have developed several FDA approved products or are currently in mid-to-late stage clinical trials. Learn more about our team of researchers.
Current Research Topics Research
We design our nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation. We strive for innovative simplicity and the use of components that have a history of medical safety, so that our nanomedicines can be tested in clinical trials and developed into useful products. To this end, we often design our platforms to mimic nature or select our systems based on how they naturally distribute in the body.
Ocular
Focus areas: Glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic macular edema, uveitis, dry eye disease, corneal neovascularization, corneal graft rejection, thyroid eye disease, cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, ocular trauma
Cancer
Focus areas: Immunotherapy, cancers of the pancreas, cervix, ovary, lung, brain, bladder, and colorectum
Central Nervous System
Focus areas: Brain tumors, cerebral palsy, neonatal stroke, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease
Women's Health
Focus areas: Preterm birth, intrauterine inflammation, infections, in vitro fertilization, reproductive tract cancers, contraception
Lung Disease
Focus areas: Cystic fibrosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer
Inflammation
Focus areas: COVID-19, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, various cancers, intrauterine inflammation, atherosclerosis, arthritis
Our Team
The CNM team includes basic science and clinical faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. Our goal is to train, mentor, and promote inclusive and supportive research environments.
In addition to a rigorous and broad training in unbiased experimental design, methods, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting, we strive to support our trainees in career and professional development. We proudly support diverse career goals, and our alumni have gone on to careers in academia, industry, regulatory, venture capital, consulting, science communication, policy, law, and medicine. We participate in numerous training programs that promote and develop trainees from low income and underrepresented groups in biomedical research.
Director & Co-Director
Adjunct Faculty
Research Associates
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Jie Fu, Ph.D.
Hanes Lab
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Kunal Parikh, Ph.D.
Hanes Lab
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Anjali Sharma, Ph.D.
Kannan Lab
Research Staff
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Annie Mozzer
Research Technologist, Pitha Lab
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Jairo Ortiz, M.D.
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
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Usha Rai
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
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Xianni Simmons
Research Assistant, Yiu Lab
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Fareeha Zulfiqar, Ph.D.
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
Postdoctoral Fellows
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Saed Abbasi, Ph.D.
Hanes Lab
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Kevin DeLong, Ph.D.
Ensign Lab
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Gijung Kwak, Ph.D.
Suk Lab
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Daiheon Lee, Ph.D.
Suk Lab
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Wathsala Liyanage, Ph.D.
Kannan Lab
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Vishnu Rompicharla, Ph.D.
Ensign Lab
Ph.D. Students
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Matthew Appell
Ensign Lab
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Marina Better
Ensign Lab
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Kimberly Bockley
Hanes Lab
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Davell Carter
Ensign Lab
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Jahnavi Pejavar
Ensign Lab
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Erika Serrano-Diaz
Ensign Lab
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Rachel Shapiro
Ensign Lab
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Mingjiao (Jenny) Sun
Hanes Lab
Masters Students
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Sai ViVek Alla
Suk Lab
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Dake Guo
Ensign Lab
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Zixu Han
Kannan Lab
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Haolin Li
Suk Lab
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Chang Liu
Kannan Lab
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Pavithra Sathishkumar
Hanes Lab
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Heng Wang
Suk Lab
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Yayi Wang
Suk Lab
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Yiqi Wang
Ensign Lab
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Elizabeth Wilkinson
Kannan Lab
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Zhaoru Xu
Kannan Lab
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Yue Zhou
Kannan Lab
Alumni
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Henry Hsueh, Ph.D.
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Aditya Josyula, Ph.D.
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Hannah Zierden, Ph.D.