DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR

DePARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING

Faculty of Engineering

National University of Singapore

4 Engineering Drive 4  Singapore 117576
Tel: (65) 6516  2186    Fax: (65) 6779 1936

TOPIC

Design, Synthesis and Characterisation of magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical application

SPEAKER

Dr. Nguyen T.K. Thanh

HOST 

Dr Lanry Yung Lin Yue

DATE

10 November 2009

TIME

10.30 a.m.

VENUE

E5-03-20

SYNOPSIS

The overall aim of my research is to harness the potential of nanomaterials in biomolecular sciences and “bottom up” assembly of devices using biomolecular interactions to have novel diagnostics and therapeutic tools for better management of diseases. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are particularly interesting, as they have many potential applications in physical and biomolecular sciences, such as ultrahigh-density recording media, contrast enhanced agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), targeted therapeutic drug delivery and hyperthermia treatment for cancers. MNPs will be synthesised with designed chemical composition, size, and shape and surface functionalities. Different capping ligands will be exploited to control the formation of NPs during the syntheses, to stabilise them in water for biological applications, and to functionalise them for specific interactions.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Nguyen T.K. Thanh, BSc MSc CSci CChem MRSC

UCL-RI Reader in Nanotechnology, Royal Society University Research Fellow. The Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory, The Royal Institution of Great Britain & Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London.

In 1994, she was selected for an EU-funded PhD position in Biochemistry in London, UK and received her PhD in 1998. In 1999, she undertook postdoctoral work in medicinal chemistry at Aston University, UK. In 2001, she moved to the United States to take advantage of pioneering work in nanotechnology, an emerging and rapidly growing field of science. In 2003, she joined the Liverpool Centre for Nanoscale Science, at University of Liverpool, UK. In 2005, she was awarded a very prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship and subsequently University of Liverpool Lectureship. She was based at Department of Chemistry (ranked 7th in the UK in 2008 RAE) and School of Biological Sciences. In January 2009, she was appointed a UCL-RI Readership/Associate Professor in Nanotechnology and based at The Davy Faraday Research Laboratory, The Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, UK. She leads a very dynamic research team focused on the design, synthesis and study the physical properties of nanomaterials as well as their applications in biomolecular and biomedical research. She is a Guest editor of Royal Society Philosophical Transaction A on Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials issue to be published in September 2010.  She also a lead exhibitor for 2010 Royal Society Summer Exhibition on “Nanoscale Science: A Giant Leap for Mankind”. She was Chair of Nanoparticles 2008, Nanoparticles 2009 conferences and will be Chair of Nanoparticles 2011 conference, York, UK, 2011.

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