PEN Investigators

Gang Bao, PhD – Principal Investigator

Robert A. Milton Chair Professor

College of Engineering Distinguished Professor

Director of NHLBI Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology

Director of the NIH Nanomedicine Development Center

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University

Dr. Gang Bao has more than 20 years of experience in materials research, including engineering materials and biomaterials. His current research is focused on the development of novel imaging probes and nanocarriers for biological and medical applications.

Don Giddens, PhD – co-Investigator

Dean, College of Engineering

Lawrence L. Gellerstedt, Jr. Chair in Bioengineering

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University

Dr. Don Giddens has more than 30 years of experience as a researcher, educator and administrator in academia. He is a pioneer in the area of fluid dynamics in human arterial disease, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His research has focused on biofluid mechanics, specializing in vascular function, vascular grafts, hemodynamics of carotid arteries, and measurement of blood flow.

Niren Murthy, PhD – co-Investigator

Associate Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University

Dr. Niren Murthy brings over 10 years of research that has focused on the design and synthesis of biomaterials for medical applications, especially new molecules for the delivery of biotherapeutics.

Dongmei Wang, PhD – co-Investigator

Assistant Professor

Biocomputing and Bioinformatics Core Director

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University

Dr. Dongmei Wang has over 15 years of research experience focused on Biomedical Computing and Modeling such as Biomedical Informatics, Bio-Molecular and Medical Imaging Data Processing, Data Management and Visualization, Bio-molecular Pathway Modeling, and Telemedicine.

W. Robert Taylor, MD/PhD – co-Principal Investigator

Division Director

Division of Cardiology

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. W. Robert Taylor has over 27 years of experience in cardiology research. His current research is focused on the studies of how various humoral and mechanical factors modulate vascular inflammatory responses as they pertain to the development of atherosclerosis, angiogenesis and hypertensive vascular disease.

Charles Searles Jr., MD – co-Investigator

Assistant Professor

Division of Cardiology

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University 

Dr. Charles Searles has extensive expertise in the study of vascular gene expression, particularly in regard to posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms. He has more than 17 years of clinical practice in Cardiology.

David Harrison, MD – co-Investigator

Bernard Marcus Professor

Division of Cardiology

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. David Harrison has over 28 years of experience in research and has extensive experience with models of hypertension and with the studies of vascular biology. An internationally renowned researcher in cardiology, Dr. Harrison’s research has been focused on ROS, the regulation of eNOS expression, and the roles of angiotensin II, vascular NADPH oxidases and T cell NADPH oxidase in the development of hypertension.

Wayne Alexander, MD/PhD – co-Investigator

R. Bruce Logue Professor and Chair

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. Wayne Alexander has over 33 years of experience with research interests include the biologic basis of the pathogenesis of coronary ischemic syndromes, the molecular mechanisms of hormonal control of vascular reactivity, and the cell biology of vascular smooth muscle and endothelium.

Young-Sup Yoon, MD/PhD – co-Investigator

Director of Stem Cell Biology

Division of Cardiology

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. Young-Sup Yoon has 10 years of experience with major interest in using stem cell technology to treat various cardiovascular diseases. His research focuses on stem cells, specifically, in the development and usage of different bone marrow-derived stem or progenitor cells, including endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stems for cardiovascular repair.  Dr. Yoon’s research targets cardiac diseases such as myocardial infarction and chronic haeart failure, and peripherial vascular disease such as the peripheral artery obstructive disease.

Michael Davis, PhD – co-Investigator

Assistant Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

School of Medicine, Emory University 

Dr. Michael Davis has 10 years of experience with research involving cardiac regeneration, oxidative stress, and protein and cell therapy, biomaterials applications.

Shuming Nie, PhD – co-Investigator

Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Chair

Director of Emory-Georgia Tech Cancer Nanotechnology Center

Department of Biomedical Engineering

School of Medicine, Emory University 

Dr. Shuming Nie has more than 15 years of extensive expertise in bioengineering and nanotechnology. His research focuses in the areas of biomolecular engineering and nanotechnology, specifically on the bioconjugated nanoparticles for cancer molecular imaging, molecular profiling, pharmacogenomics, and targeted therapy.

Xiaoping Hu, PhD – co-Investigator

Professor

Director of Biomedical Imaging Technology Center

Department of Biomedical Engineering

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. Xiaoping Hu has more than 20 years of research and expertise with focus in the areas of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, functional MRI, image reconstruction and processing, and molecular imaging.

Hanjoong Jo, PhD – co-Investigator

Ada Lee and Pete Correll Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

School of Medicine, Emory University

Dr. Hanjoong Jo has more than 19 years of research experience with focus in the areas of mechanobiology and cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis and aortic valve disease, role of shear stress in vascular inflammation and neovascularization, as well was in vivo siRNA delivery.

Kathy Griendling, PhD – co-Investigator

Professor

Department of Medicine

School of Medicine, Emory University 

Dr. Kathy Griendling has more than 27 years of research experience with focus on the role of NADPH oxidases (Nox) in vascular biology and disease. Her laboratory uses molecular techniques to study the subunit structure of Nox enzymes and their downstream targets. She has a particular interest in how reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from these enzymes regulate the signaling pathways leading to smooth muscle proliferation, migration and differentiation.