Welcome !

We are a diverse group of scientists & engineers with interests spanning molecular & cell biology and soft matter physics, including polymer nano-engineering. Students & Fellows pursue original research across these topic areas and many have progressed into positions in Academia and Industry (eg. Merck, Amgen, Genentech).

We are the lead Lab in a new Cancer Physics Center, supported generously by a highly competitive 5-yr award from the NIH's NCI (Nat'l Cancer Inst.).

We focus on Differentiation, Stem Cells, & Cancer: Collagens-Cytoskeleton-Nucleus-Genome connections as well as 'Marker of Self', Phagocytosis and Cell Membrane dynamics. Structures, interactions, and processes are studied in contexts ranging from short time scales (mechano-signaling, protein dynamics) to long time scales (expression, DNA repair, cell fates).

In Materials Biology & Drug/Gene Delivery, we develop and apply polymers in vivo as well as in vitro, from Block Copolymers for Self-Assembly/Nanoparticles (Polymersomes & Filomicelles) to Gels of Controlled MicroElasticity characterized by AFM among other physical tools.

Methods & Materials constantly evolve in the Lab but vary from additional Nano/Micro physical tools and super-resolution fluroescence to recombinants & mutants, synthetic polymers & peptides, and molecular profiling.

Lab publications listed chronologically by year.

Lab publications by number of citations.

Honors that reflect the many efforts of the Lab include :

- elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine (2015)

- elected Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (2015)

- elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2012)

discher 'at' seas dot upenn dot edu

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