Welcome to the MBMN Laboratory!
Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology for treatment and prevention of major diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Despite the progress and potential of nanomedicines, many cannot reach clinical trials due to critical challenges including poor reproducibility in high volume production and poor predictive validity of in vitro models. To overcome these challenges, we combine advanced micro and nanofabrication, synthetic biomaterials, and high-precision control systems to develop new microfluidic systems for microfluidic assembly, characterization, evaluation, and manufacturing of multicomponent nanomedicines.
We currently focus on two research areas: (i) microfluidic nanomedicine evaluation and screening using microengineered physiological systems called organs-on-chips and (ii) microfluidic assembly and manufacturing of multicomponent and multifunctional nanomedicines for drug delivery applications. We combine these approaches to accelerate drug discovery and nanomedicine development, and clinical translation. In close collaboration with other labs at Emory School of Medicine, we currently apply our innovative technologies for the treatment of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain cancer.
Our fundamental research goal is to understand (1) how cells coordinate responses to a combination of signaling cues in multicellular environments; (2) how bio/nanomaterials assemble and break in dynamically controlled fluid flow; and (3) how biological systems interact with nanomaterials. To answer the questions, we use experimental and computational approaches to build biomimetic systems that integrate bioengineering and nanotechnology in multiscale biosystems.
Our laboratory provides collaborative environments for our lab members from diverse disciplines to learn each other and do interdisciplinary research. We believe that our lab members will be successful in their career with uniqueness and diversity, both of which are preferred or even required nowadays in an industry as well as in academia. Our lab also has diverse collaborative opportunities with other research laboratories in areas of mechanical/electrical/biomedical/chemical engineering and biology/chemistry/materials sciences.
Current Funding
2022-24 NIH NCI R21CA260247 (PI: Kwong; MPI: Kim)
2019-22 CURESEARCH Precision Medicine (PI: Graham; Co-I: Kim)
2017-22 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, DP2HL142050 (PI: Kim)
2017-22 NSF CAREER Award, CMMI 1653006, Nanomanufacturing (PI: Kim)
Past Funding
2018-20 NIH NIA R21AG056781 (PI: Kim; MPI: Rangaraju)
2015-19 AHA National Scientist Development Grant 15SDG25080314 (PI: Kim)
2016-17 Regenerative Engineering and Medicine (PI: Kim; Co-PI: Yoon)
2015-17 Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART) (PI: Kim)
2015-17 NIH NINDS R21NS091682 (PI: Kim; Co-I: MacDonald)
2014-15 Center for Pediatric Nanomedicine, CHOA (PI: Kim)
2014-15 Regenerative Engineering and Medicine (PI: Kim; Co-PI: Tansey)
2014-15 NIH NHLBI PEN (PI: Bao; Co-I: Kim)