The Johns Hopkins Center for Nanomedicine (CNM) brings together engineers, scientists, and clinicians working together under one roof on translation of novel drug and gene delivery technologies. The focus is to overcome major challenges to drug efficacy, including biological barriers to delivery, patient compliance, and toxicity. Furthermore, we educate and train the next generation of researchers to innovate at the interface of engineering, medicine, and the life sciences in the development of drug delivery technologies with potential for clinical implementation. We believe that collaboration and commitment to diversity are key in having the maximum impact on human health.
Current Research Topics Research
We design our nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation. We strive for innovative simplicity and the use of components that have a history of medical safety, so that our nanomedicines can be tested in clinical trials and developed into useful products. To this end, we often design our platforms to mimic nature or select our systems based on how they naturally distribute in the body.
Ocular
Focus areas: Glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic macular edema, uveitis, dry eye disease, corneal neovascularization, corneal graft rejection, thyroid eye disease, cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, ocular trauma
Cancer
Focus areas: Immunotherapy, cancers of the pancreas, cervix, ovary, lung, brain, bladder, and colorectum
Inflammation
Focus areas: COVID-19, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, various cancers, intrauterine inflammation, atherosclerosis, arthritis
Lung Disease
Focus areas: Cystic fibrosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer
Women's Health
Focus areas: Preterm birth, intrauterine inflammation, infections, in vitro fertilization, reproductive tract cancers, contraception
Central Nervous System
Focus areas: Brain tumors, cerebral palsy, neonatal stroke, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease
Our Team
The CNM team includes basic science and clinical faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. Our goal is to train, mentor, and promote inclusive and supportive research environments.
In addition to a rigorous and broad training in unbiased experimental design, methods, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting, we strive to support our trainees in career and professional development. We proudly support diverse career goals, and our alumni have gone on to careers in academia, industry, regulatory, venture capital, consulting, science communication, policy, law, and medicine. We participate in numerous training programs that promote and develop trainees from low income and underrepresented groups in biomedical research.
Adjunct Faculty
Research Associates
Wathsala Liyanage, Ph.D.
Kannan Lab
![Wathsala Liyanage, Ph.D.](/-/media/wilmer/images/wathsala-liyanage.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=C22AB22D1A5A13C6D38FC7E211E20DBF)
Jie Fu, Ph.D.
Hanes Lab
![Hannah Zierden, Ph.D.](/-/media/wilmer/images/defaultdoc.gif?h=150&iar=0&w=120&hash=A53F49D463A1A46269FDBA2766053CF6)
Research Staff
Jairo Ortiz, M.D.
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
![Jairo-Ortiz](/-/media/wilmer/images/jairo-ortiz-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=7382C41D70002DCCB85D713846143354)
Usha Rai
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
![Usha Rai](/-/media/wilmer/images/usha-rai-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=56B098FAA6EB9AF91DC71B80F377FFB6)
Fareeha Zulfiqar, Ph.D.
Research Specialist, Ensign Lab
![Fareeha-Zulfiqar](/-/media/wilmer/images/fareeha-zulfiqar-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=0057512B045CEDA6D3ECA507441DFF0A)
Spencer Shumway
Research Specialist
![Spencer Shumway](/-/media/wilmer/images/spencer-shumway-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=A5CD8687E6DF6B17485B18884DFD4A52)
Minjie Chen PhD
Lab Manager
![Minjie Chen](/-/media/wilmer/images/minjie-chen-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=7B31F6B9B4AF3E2940432B8484846E25)
Joe Gerald Jesu Raj
Research Technologist
![Joe Raj](/-/media/wilmer/images/joe-gerald-jesu-raj-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=588A641FB7CAB12529B11300391F1C6C)
Nushrat Yasmin
Lab Manager
![Nushrat Yasmin](/-/media/wilmer/images/nushrat-yasmin-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=49E05CE38801BD69641F5CC441105C91)
Jordan Shuff
Research Engineer
![Jordan Shuff](/-/media/wilmer/images/jordan-shuff-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=7BB3B54792D21FEF189EEE74FEA45C31)
Postdoctoral Fellows
Saed Abbasi, Ph.D.
Hanes Lab
![Saed Abbasi](/-/media/wilmer/images/saed-abbasi-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=DA660143F9716DD8440A33821865850C)
Vishnu Rompicharla, Ph.D.
Ensign Lab
![Vishnu Rompicharla, Ph.D.](/-/media/wilmer/images/vishnu-rompicharla.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=1E74124EE3588C47E6B48E3D14EA7CF0)
Mahdi Forouharshad, Ph.D.
![Mahdi Forouharshad](/-/media/wilmer/images/mahdi-forouharshad-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=ED4456A9A083641409D16B00B118327C)
Yub Raj Neupane, Ph.D.
![Yub Raj Neupane](/-/media/wilmer/images/yub-raj-neupane-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=E69A70DB16C889C8BD9B7C17344FEA28)
Thanuia Marasarakottige Yogananda, Ph.D.
![Thanuia Yogananda](/-/media/wilmer/images/thanuia-yogananda-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=226448464CAABDAB6BABA5A63730AD4B)
Narendra Kale, Ph.D.
![Narenda Kale](/-/media/wilmer/images/narenda-kale-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=68BCD6726D672782937FF8B3A162EF56)
Balachandra Chenikkayala, Ph.D.
![Balachandra Chenikkayala](/-/media/wilmer/images/balachandra-chenikkayla-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=868CA95A13171FC9D38A218F4E9772FE)
Durgadas Cherukaraveedu, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Students
Matthew Appell
Ensign Lab
![Matthew Appell](/-/media/wilmer/images/matt-appell.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=D4FF02D795B1A498731498E4EAA9A581)
Marina Better
Ensign Lab
![Marina Better](/-/media/wilmer/images/marina-better.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=CB1828DB64A8EA5D0880A24A92155A77)
Kimberly Bockley
Hanes Lab
![Kimberly Bockley](/-/media/wilmer/images/id_zoom_out_kimberly_bockley.png?h=2424&iar=0&w=2424&hash=42AB6D5363C151577C85BA7D33F06B19)
Davell Carter
Ensign Lab
![Davell Carter](/-/media/wilmer/images/davell-carter.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=8680868C0E5D45EF9DC98A85BA714B2B)
Jahnavi Pejavar
Ensign Lab
![Jahnavi Pejavar](/-/media/wilmer/images/jahnavi-pejavar.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=1FCE87AC6281B8060AB91ACB8CB24420)
Erika Serrano-Diaz
Ensign Lab
![Hannah Zierden, Ph.D.](/-/media/wilmer/images/defaultdoc.gif?h=150&iar=0&w=120&hash=A53F49D463A1A46269FDBA2766053CF6)
Rachel Shapiro
Ensign Lab
![Rachel Shapiro](/-/media/wilmer/images/rachel-shapiro.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=DD03BC61A4935E1F303877CF68853C74)
Mingjiao (Jenny) Sun
Hanes Lab
![Mingjiao (Jenny) Sun](/-/media/wilmer/images/mingjiaosunsunjenny.png?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=BCB43A533B4AE1D31CAAA46B3956F264)
Masters Students
Xiaoxin (Charlie) Zhu
![Xiaoxin (Charlie) Zhu](/-/media/wilmer/images/xiaoxincharliezhu240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=2AF1D746102864FA489A8EE77ED5358E)
Shubham Patil
![Shubham Patil](/-/media/wilmer/images/shubham-patil-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=54B033D29E61D11E9EA067864B16A91E)
Hongyu (Dennis) Feng
![Hongyu Dennis Feng](/-/media/wilmer/images/hongyudennisfeng240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=7FE880BD9A4D7A8D281EBE1D1AD0FAF5)
Kiersten Malmberg
Megha Lingamsetty
Arman Farazdaghi
Patriichay Limbodia
![Patriichay Limbodia](/-/media/wilmer/images/patriichay-limbodia-240x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=240&hash=B2199D722EEE4F529449ADE3B0FC8515)