Research Interests

Research interests. My research interests are in the area of Biomedicine, understanding the causes of disease and their underlying biology. 1). Pectus excavatum is a common inherited chest wall deformity where the sternum is depressed towards the spinal column, compressing the chest and affecting heart and lung function. The underlying cause is thought to be due to mechanical weakness in the chest cartilage, likely due to abnormal protein deposition or interaction. The mechanical properties of cartilage closely correlate with the electrical properties, and therefore we expect both properties to be compromised in affected costal cartilages. The internal electrical charge of cartilage is responsible for influx of solutes, which gives cartilage both strength and pliability. We are investigating changes in electrical and mechanical properties of proteins in individuals with pectus excavatum as potential underlying causes. We consider it artificial to separate mechanical responses from electrical responses in this biological tissue, as one is very dependent upon the other. This disorder is a model for uniting biomechanics and bioelectrics with the advantages of patient benefit. 2). Carbon nanotubes are finding increased use in biological and medical applications. They possess unique physical, chemical and electrical properties that could be utilized in the treatment of disease. Electrically, carbon nanotubes are a basic building block for nanometer scaled electronic structures and have the world's highest conductivity per unit mass. Although there are many conflicting reports regarding the toxicity of carbon nanotubes, the design of carbon nanotubes for specific biological applications hold great promise. The sensitivity of carbon nanotubes integrated with biological cultures and exposed to external stimuli has shown destruction of cells, thus indicating their use as synergistic agents of cell death. We propose to utilize the electrical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to synergistically enhance pulse electric field effect induced cell death.