Research Overview
A central theme of my current research is the development of programmable therapeutic and diagnostic platforms that integrate molecular targeting, advanced materials, and biological systems. My laboratory develops nanobiosensors and liquid-biopsy technologies for early disease detection, biodegradable nanocarriers for targeted and image-guided drug delivery, and strategies for improving cellular immunotherapies for solid tumors. A particular focus is the use of immune cells as both therapeutic agents and targeted delivery vehicles, including approaches in which CAR-T cells carry and locally release small-molecule drugs within the tumor microenvironment. These studies are directed toward overcoming tumor heterogeneity, immunosuppression, and other major barriers to effective treatment of solid tumors.
Advanced imaging is an integral component of this work. As Director of the Preclinical Imaging Shared Resource at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, I work extensively with ultra-high-field MRI, micro-CT, optical imaging, and photoacoustic imaging to characterize tumor biology, therapeutic response, drug distribution, and treatment-related changes in the tumor microenvironment. Integrating molecular imaging with nanotechnology and drug delivery allows us to follow therapeutic processes noninvasively and to develop increasingly quantitative and personalized approaches to cancer treatment.
My research is highly collaborative and translational. As Co-Leader of the Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program at the NCI-designated University of Kansas Cancer Center and Deputy Director of the Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation, I work with cancer biologists, clinicians, chemists, engineers, imaging scientists, and industry partners to move promising technologies from fundamental discovery toward clinical application. My experience in academic research, technology development, intellectual property, and industry has reinforced my conviction that successful translation requires sustained interaction among basic scientists, clinicians, engineers, and commercial partners.
Throughout my career, I have sought to create research environments in which disciplinary boundaries are deliberately crossed, and students, trainees, faculty, and collaborators are encouraged to contribute their complementary expertise. My long-term objective is to combine cancer biology, advanced materials, molecular imaging, and programmable drug delivery to develop therapeutic technologies capable of detecting disease earlier, targeting tumors more precisely, and adapting treatment to the biological characteristics of individual cancers.