I engineered a first-in-class ROS-responsive polymer–nanoparticle system (IPC-SPIOs) that activates selectively in oxidative stress, enabling inflammation-targeted MRI and controlled drug release. I optimized iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis to achieve monodisperse, magnetite-pure cores and built a custom polygallol–PEG interpolymer complex that swells, oxidizes, and changes relaxivity in response to superoxide.

This work established the foundation for an integrated theranostic platform—one that can detect inflamed tissue and simultaneously respond to its biochemical environment. My contributions spanned synthesis, polymer chemistry, FRET-based nanoscale analysis, and imaging validation, ultimately defining the material requirements for downstream drug-delivery applications.

I developed an optimized iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) synthesis workflow to produce small, monodisperse magnetite particles suitable for ROS-responsive drug delivery and MRI contrast. Using a controlled co-precipitation strategy, I systematically evaluated how ammonium hydroxide flow rate, pH gradients, and reaction conditions influence nucleation and growth. Through this work, I identified a narrow flow-rate window that reproducibly generated ~15 nm magnetite nanoparticles with superior hydrodynamic size, colloidal stability, and crystallinity.

We were proud to publish our results in Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects!

View our paper here!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092777572401882X

I conducted a pilot mouse study to assess biodistribution and biocompatibility of the theranostic platform. Using intravenous dosing followed by tissue processing and Prussian blue staining, I confirmed expected SPIO clearance pathways (liver and spleen macrophages) and dose-dependent iron deposition consistent with safe biodegradation.

This work provided essential in vivo feasibility data supporting future therapeutic experiments and grant proposals. It validated that my engineered particles behave predictably in biological systems, reinforcing the translational readiness of the ROS-responsive, steroid-loaded platform.

Committee update