Research Overview

Led by Professor Shirley (Xiao Yu) Wu, our research is centered on advanced pharmaceutics and drug delivery technologies. The goal of our research is to develop novel drug delivery strategies and systems to enhance treatment of major diseases such as cancer & diabetes.
​
Innovative approaches have been undertaken to achieve this goal by integrating multidisciplinary techniques and knowledge including micro- and nanotechnology, chemistry, computer simulation, engineering, pharmaceutics, pharmacology, and oncology. Our research program is highly interdisciplinary which bridges bio-sciences, materials sciences, physical sciences with clinical applications.  

Recent News

We would like to thank our past and present funders and partners:

Recent Publications

Picture
  1. GhavamiNejad, A., Liu, J.F., Mirzaie, S. et al. Catechol-based chemistry for hypoglycemia-responsive delivery of zinc-glucagon via hydrogel-based microneedle patch technology. Nat Commun 16, 3124 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58278-4
Picture
Park, E., He, C., Abbasi, A. Z., Tian, M., Huang, S., Wang, L., Georgiou, J., Collingridge, G. L., Fraser, P. E., Henderson, J. T., & Wu, X. Y., 2025. Brain microenvironment-remodeling nanomedicine improves cerebral glucose metabolism, mitochondrial activity and synaptic function in a mouse model of alzheimer’s disease. Biomaterials, 318, 123142. 
Picture
Alradwan, I., Zhi, P., Zhang, T., Lip, H., Zetrini, A., He, C., Henderson, J. T., Rauth, A. M., & Wu, X. Y., 2025. Nanoparticulate Drug Combination inhibits DNA damage repair and PD-L1 expression in BRCA-mutant and wild type triple-negative breast cancer. Journal of Controlled Release, 377, 661–674. 
Picture

 Yen T.Y., Abbasi A.Z., He C., Lip H.Y., Park E., Amini M.A., Adissu H.A., Foltz W., Rauth A.M., Henderson J., Wu X.Y., 2024. Biocompatible and bioactivable terpolymer-lipid-MnO2 Nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agent for improving tumor detection and delineation. Materials Today Bio. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.100954
Picture
Zetrini, A. E., Lip, H., Abbasi, A. Z., Alradwan, I., Ahmed, T., He, C., Henderson, J. T., Rauth, A. M., & Wu, X. Y., 2023. Remodeling tumor immune microenvironment by using polymer-lipid-manganese dioxide nanoparticles with radiation therapy to boost immune response of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Research.