Education

• Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 1999

Research Statement

Our research is geared toward developing materials and devices for biological and medical applications, which can be broadly categorized in three directions and conducted in three labs within the group.

Nanoparticle Lab

The Nanoparticle Lab focuses its research on cancer diagnosis and treatment through imaging enhancement and targeted and controlled therapeutic payload delivery using nanoconjugates or multifunctional nanovectors.

Tissue Engineering Lab

The Tissue Engineering Lab concentrates on development of biocompatible porous and nanofibrous matrices serving as biodegradable scaffolds and/or drug delivery depots for tissue repair and regeneration.

Biosensor Lab

The Biosensor Lab targets the detection and identification of chemical and biological agents and the development of drug screening techniques using protein and cell based sensors.

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UW researcher pursues synthetic ‘scaffolds’ for muscle regeneration

The word “engineering” can bring to mind images of bridges, spacecraft and even particle colliders. But the human body could use assistance from engineers as well, especially when the natural processes that shape and govern our cells, tissues or organs need a helping hand.

Miqin Zhang, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Washington, is looking for ways to help the body heal itself when injury, disease or surgery cause large-scale damage to one type of tissue in particular: skeletal muscle. Muscles have a limited ability to regenerate, repair and realign themselves properly after certain types of damage.

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Select publications

1. M. Zhang, “Early detection of multi-organ metastases", Nature Biomedical Engineering, 1, 934-936 (2017).
2. P. A. Chiarelli, R. A. Revia, Z. R. Stephen, K. Wang, M. Jeon, V. Nelson, F. M. Kievit, J. Sham, R. G. Ellenbogen, H. P. Kiem, and M. Zhang, “Nanoparticle biokinetics in mice and nonhuman primates", ACS Nano, 11 (9), 9514-9524 (2017).
3. H. Wang, K. Wang, R. Revia, R. J. Kant, Q. Mu, Z. Gai, K. Hong, and M. Zhang, “Paramagnetic properties of metal-free boron-doped graphene quantum dots and their application for safe magnetic resonance imaging", Advanced Materials, 29 (11), 1605416 (2017).
4. F. M. Kievit, K. Wang, T. Ozawa, A. W. Tarudji, J. R. Silber, E. C. Holland, R. G. Ellenbogen, and M. Zhang, “Nanoparticle-mediated knockdown of DNA repair sensitizes cells to radiotherapy and extends survival in a genetic mouse model of glioblastoma", Nanomedicine, 13 (7), 2131-2139 (2017).
5. S. L. Levengood, A. E. Erikson, F. C. Chang, and M. Zhang, “Chitosan-poly (caprolactone) nanofibers for skin repair", Journal of Materials Chemistry, 5 (9), 1822-1833 (2017).
6. H. Wang, K. Wang, Q. Mu, Z. R. Stephen, Y. Yu, S. Zhou, and M. Zhang, “Mesoporous carbon nanoshells for hydrophobic drug loading, multimodal imaging, controlled drug release, and synergistic therapy", Nanoscale, 9 (4), 1434-1442 (2017).
7. H. Wang, Q. Mu, R. Revia, K. Wang, X. Zhou, P. J. Pauzauskie, S. Zhou, and M. Zhang, “Chitosan-gated magnetic-responsive nanocarrier for multimodal imaging, switchable drug release and synergistic therapy", Advanced Healthcare Materials, 6 (6), 1601080 (2017).
8. Z. R. Stephen, R. N. Gebhart, M. Jeon, A. A. Blair, R. G. Ellenbogen, J. R. Silber, and M. Zhang, “pH-sensitive O6-benzylguanosine polymer modified magnetic nanoparticles for treatment of glioblastomas", Bioconjugate Chemistry, 28 (1), 194-202 (2017).
9. K. Wang, F. M. Fievit, Y. Deng, A. E. Erickson, J. Silber, R. Ellenbogen, and M. Zhang, “Culture on three-dimensional chitosan-hyaluronic acid scaffolds enhances stem cell marker expression and drug resistance in human glioblastoma cancer stem cells", Advanced Healthcare Materials, 5 (24), 3173-3181 (2017).
10. S. Jana, S. K. L. Levengood, and M. Zhang, “Anisotropic materials for skeletal muscle tissue engineering", Advanced Materials, 28 (48), 10588-10612 (2016).
11. K. Wang, F. Kievit, M. Zhang, “Nanoparticles in cancer gene therapy: recent advances, challenges, and strategies", Pharmaceutical Research, 114 (12), 56-66 (2016).
12. H. Wang, K. Wang, B. Tian, R. Revia, Q. Mu, M. Jeon, F. C. Chang, M. Zhang, “Preloading of hydrophobic anti-cancer drug into multifunctional nanocarrier for multi-modal imaging, NIR-responsive drug release and synergistic therapy", Small, 12 (46), 6388-97 (2016).
13. S. J. Florczyk, F. M. Kievit, K. Wang, R. G. Ellenbogen, M. Zhang, “3D porous chitosan-alginate scaffolds promote proliferation and enrichment of cancer stem-like cells", Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 4 (38), 6326-34 (2016).
14. Q. Mu, H. Wang, M. Zhang, “Nanoparticles for imaging and treatment of metastatic breast cancer", Expert Opin Drug Deliv, 14 (1), 123-36 (2016).
15. Z. R. Stephen, C. J. Dayringer, J. J. Lim, R. A. Revia, M. V. Halber, M. Jeon, A. Bakthavatsalam, R. G. Ellenbogen, and M. Zhang, “An approach to Rapid synthesis, and functionalization of iron oxide nanoparticles for high gene transfection", ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 8 (10), 6320-8 (2016).
16. F. C. Chang, C. T. Tsao, A. Lin, M. Y. Zhang, S. L. Levengood, and M. Zhang, “PEG-chitosan-hydrogel with turnable stiffness for study of drug response of breast cancer cells", Polymers, 8 (4), 112-25 (2016).
17. K. Wang, F. M. Kievit, and M. Zhang, “Evaluation of four tumor-specific promoters in various cancer cell lines", Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Clinical Practice, 6 (1), 46-55 (2016).
18. R. Revia, and M. Zhang “Magnetite nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and treatment monitoring: recent advances", Materials Today, 19 (3), 157-68 (2016).
19. F. M. Kievit, K. Wang, A. E. Erickson, S. K. L. Levengood, R. G. Ellenbogen, and M. Zhang “Modeling the tumor microenvironment using chitosan-alginate scaffolds to control the stem-like state of gliobastoma cells", RSC Biomaterials Science, 4 (4), 610-3 (2016).
20. K. Wang, F. M. Kievit, J. G. Sham, M. Jeon, Z. R. Stephen, A. Bakthavatsalam, J. O. Park, and M. Zhang “Iron oxide-based nanoparticles for tumor targeted siRNA delivery in an orthotopic liver xenograft mouse model", Small, 12 (4), 477-487 (2016).

Honors & awards

• "Highly cited researchers in materials science and engineering" by MSE Supplies, 2016
• Thomson Reuters' World's Most Influential Scientific Minds, 2015

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