NIH funds NKU brain nanotechnology research

News from NKU...

Thursday - June 2, 2011
For immediate release...


HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $405,000 competitive grant to Northern Kentucky University's Dr. Heather Bullen (Chemistry department) and Dr. Kristi Haik (Biological Sciences department) for their research titled "Nanotechnology: Advancing Toxicity Testing."

Nanotechnology is research aimed at understanding, manipulating and utilizing nanometer-scale materials.

"More than one billion people across the world suffer with brain diseases, disorders or injuries," Dr. Haik said. "To combat these illnesses, researchers have been working hard to develop potential therapies, a majority of which may only be administered by injection directly into the brain. The concept of nanotechnology has shown promise in delivering drugs to the brain that previously in ways previously unavailable. It is vital to investigate potential toxicity issues that may arise from overexposure to nanoparticles."

Dr. Bullen emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the work being done at NKU. "This three-year grant award enables our research team to pursue a concept that spans biology and chemistry disciplines," she said. "Undergraduates will work with us to develop a standardized procedure to assess the potential toxicity of promising nano-drug delivery vehicles. These students will be trained in a variety of interdisciplinary techniques including chemical, cellular, molecular and biochemical procedures. They will also have the opportunity to present their findings at national and international scientific meetings. This is a great hands-on opportunity to prepare our future researchers."

### NKU ###

Follow NKU news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NKU_News.