Nick Tsihlis’s focus is on developing and evaluating therapies for patients with vascular disease, as well as understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying how these therapies work.

The main focus of Batrakova’s research is to develop a CNS delivery system for antioxidants and neuronal growth factors to attenuate neuroinflammation and produce neuroprotection in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. For this purpose, her group utilizes inflammatory-response cells, macrophages and monocytes that can migrate toward the inflammation site, cross the blood brain barrier, and release the preloaded drugs in the brain.

Sokolsky’s research interests focus on drug delivery, brain delivery, sustained release, polymeric micelles, exosomes, inorganic nano particles, surface engineering for selective cell targeting, and remotely actuated theranostic drug delivery systems.

Dr. Allbritton’s research studies, described in over 160 publications, are directed at the development of new technologies by bringing to bear methods from engineering, chemistry, physics and biology to address biomedical problems.

The central theme of Wang’s research program is to apply advances from other fields such as chemical engineering, materials science, biomedical engineering and nanotechnology, to the field of oncology.

Tian is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine and is a member of the DeSimone Research Group.

Kibbe’s research interests focus on developing novel therapies for patients with vascular disease while simultaneously studying the mechanism of how these therapies impact the vascular wall.

The Zongchao Han, Ph.D., M.D., laboratory is interested in developing gene therapies for retinal diseases. Han’s lab is particularly interested in understanding the gene expression patterns that are regulated by the cis-regulatory elements. Another interest of the Han laboratory is to produce a multifunctional NP carrier for specific and efficient gene/drug targeting.