Weian Zhao, Ph,D.
Biography
Weian Zhao completed his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry at Shandong University (China) where he studied polymer, surface and colloidal chemistry. Weian then obtained his PhD in Chemistry at McMaster University (Canada) in 2008 where he used functional nucleic acid aptamers and enzymes together with gold nanoparticles to construct biosensors for point-of-care applications. From 2008 to 2011, Weian was a Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT where his research focused on mesenchymal stem cell biology, engineering and therapy.
Research in Lay Terms
My research aims to understand and ultimately control the fate of the transplanted stem cells in the body (i.e. where they go and what they do), which will lead to effective and safe clinical medicine.
Research Focus
My laboratory focuses on the development of next-generation therapeutics and diagnostics by using molecular, nano- and micro-engineered tools.
Research Details
Specifically, we are focused on stem cell therapy, immunotherapeutics, tumor targeting and detection, and point-of-care diagnostics for global health. We aim to understand the biological, therapeutic and detrimental functions of transplanted stem cells in vivo, which will eventually allow us to better utilize them to treat a variety of diseases including cancer and stroke. Furthermore, we are developing bioengineered tools including microfluidics, nanoparticles and aptamers to tackle unmet challenges in disease diagnosis and global health.
PubMed Link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=weian%20zhao
Related Links
http://faculty.sites.uci.edu/zhaolab/
