Principal Investigator
Chao Zhao, Ph.D.
- Ph.D., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Akron, 2013
- M.S., Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, China, 2006
- B.E., Polymer Materials and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, China, 2004
- Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Box 870203
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0203
(205) 348-9577 (phone)
(234) 738-6082 (cell)
czhao15@eng.ua.edu
Visiting scientists
Dr. Xiaosi Li received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Akron in 2019. Her current research focuses on polymer synthesis, development of polymersomes, hydrogels, malanie-based nanoparticles, and lipid nanoparticles.
Postdoctoral researchers
Xiaoyan Ma received her PhD degree in department of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. Her research focuses on polymer synthesis, nanoparticle fabrication, and drug efficacy/safety evaluation.
Prabhakar Busa earned his Master of Pharmacy degree from JNTU-Hyderabad in India. He then enrolled as a Ph.D. student at Taiwan’s National Dong Hwa University (NDHU). He earned his Ph.D. at the NDHU University’s Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, where he investigated novel Nanomedicine (Inorganic nanoparticles-mesoporous silica (MSN) and Layered doble hydroxide (LDH)) Technologies for regulating multi drug resistance (MDR) cancer studies. He also worked as a postdoc at Cathay Medical Research Institute (CMRI) on neuropathic pain (particularly morphine tolerance and diabetic induced neuropathic pains) and osteoarthritic (OA) pain studies for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs. He joined Prof. Chao Zhao’s laboratory at the University of Alabama (UA) because he was interested in employing polymer-based materials for advanced pain management investigations, nanomaterial (under stimulus effect) for sustained/prolonged release of tetrodotoxin (TTX). His ambitions are to become an independent scientist and to work as a professor in near future.
Yu Wen obtained his PhD degree at East China Normal University (ECNU), China, in 2023. His research focus on medicinal chemistry and organic chemistry.
Dr. Reju George Thomas is a dedicated researcher with a strong background in nanotechnology and biomedical engineering.
He earned his Ph.D. in Science from Chonnam National University, South Korea (2012-2016), following his M.Tech. in Nanotechnology from Amrita Centre for Nanosciences, India, and B.Tech. in Bioinformatics from Vellore Institute of Technology, India. He was awarded the prestigious Department of Science and Technology (DST) Fellowship in 2012.
Dr. Thomas has extensive research experience, working as a Research Fellow at Chonnam National University, focusing on developing liposomal-based nanotherapeutics for neurological diseases such as cerebral ischemia and glioblastoma. His past roles include research fellowships at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he worked on ultrasound-responsive cavitation agents, and at Chonnam National University, developing therapeutics for liver fibrosis and HBV infection.
In Dr Zhao lab his focus will be on to develop on demand release platform for pain management.
Graduate students
Huiyang Hu ( 2022 Fall Ph.D. candidate ) received his B.S. in Polymer Materials and Engineering from Xiangtan University, China. He then received his M.S. in natural polymer modification at Sichuan University, China, where his main work was focused on the mechanism of cellulose dissolution in ionic liquids. He has a great interest in the application of polymers in biomedicine, and he hopes to make achievements in this field in the future.
Daneil (Yuhao) Cai (2022 Fall PhD candidate) received his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Engineering from Tianjin University, China. His current research focuses on synthesis and utilization of drug delivery polymers, genetic modification for metabolic engineering, etc.
Quan Heng (2025 Spring PhD candidate) received her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Macau University of Science and Technology, China, and her Master’s degree in Pharmaceuticals from University College London, UK . Her research will focus on on demand local anesthesia.
Undergraduate Students
Adriana Li will receive her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Spring 2025. Her research focuses on tissue engineering, biomedical engineering, and drug delivery
Alumni
Ph.D. student
Dr. Qi Li (2019 Fall -2024 Spring) received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Beihang University, China, in 2018. His research focused on local anesthetic prodrugs, polymersomes, hydrogels, and pain treatment.
Current Position: Harvard Medical School/Brigham Women Hospital
Postdocs/Visiting Scientists
Dr. Guihua Cui, Jilin Medical University, China.
Dr. Liman Hou
Dr. Qiuyun Yang
Master student
Shawn (Tian) Yang (2022-2024)
Undergraduate students
Ryan Elam (2024 Summer)
Williams, Cianna G (2023 REU)
Butler, Quinn D (2022-2023, NIH R15 trainee)
Peichel, Abigail R (2022-2023, NIH R15 trainee)
Yifei Sun (2020-2023)
Antonia Boyd (2022-2023, NIH R15 trainee)
Zachariah Broemmel (2021-2022, NIH R15 trainee)
Brian Crear (2021-2022, NIH R15 trainee)
Kyra Berger (2021-2022, NIH R15 trainee)
Stephany Pang (2022 REU)
Luke Joseph (2022 REU)
Kimberly Christian(2021 REU)
Maysoon-mahajab Harunani (2021 REU)
Myungjin (Jin)Jung (2018-2020)
Jordan Morgan (2019-2020)
Jessica Tashbin (2019-2020)
Samantha Martinusen (2018-2019)
Mitchell McNeely (2018-2019)
Samuel Yeager (2018-2019)
Dalton Morris (2018-2019)