Research

Medical Micro/Nanorobots

I develop medical micro- and nanorobots for active transport, targeted delivery, and minimally invasive therapy. Unlike conventional nanomedicine, which largely depends on passive diffusion and vascular transport, micro/nanorobotic systems can introduce active motion, external control, and programmable interactions within living tissues.

My current research focuses on robotic systems that overcome biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier, dense extracellular matrices, and restricted tissue interfaces that limit conventional drug delivery. To address these barriers, I integrate responsive materials, physical actuation, molecular targeting, and imaging-guided validation.

Recent projects include photothermally gated nanorobots for active brain delivery, ultrasound-propelled hydrogel microrobots, and microbubble-based robotic systems for cancer therapy. These platforms combine materials engineering, propulsion, imaging, and biological evaluation to improve therapeutic delivery in complex in vivo environments.

My long-term goal is to establish clinically translatable nanorobotic platforms capable of controlled navigation, adaptive response, and precise therapeutic intervention inside the body.

In Vivo Biofabrication and Acoustic Printing

I also work on imaging-guided in vivo biofabrication, with a focus on acoustic printing inside living systems. This research aims to construct functional biomaterials directly within target tissues without open surgery.

Current tissue engineering strategies often rely on ex vivo fabrication followed by surgical implantation, which limits their adaptability to deep, moving, and patient-specific tissue environments. To overcome this limitation, I develop minimally invasive biofabrication platforms based on focused ultrasound, responsive bioinks, and real-time imaging guidance.

My interests in this area include ultrasound-triggered gelation, printable bioink design, motion compensation, and AI-guided control of printing patterns. The goal is to enable localized formation of therapeutic biointerfaces that can conform to complex anatomical structures and dynamic tissue motion.

In the long term, I aim to advance in vivo biofabrication from simple material deposition toward intelligent, image-guided construction of functional biomaterials for tissue repair, regenerative medicine, and precision therapy.

Nanomedicine

My research in nanomedicine focuses on functional nanoparticles and bioactive material interfaces for precision diagnosis and therapy. I study how nanoscale properties—including material composition, morphology, surface chemistry, and biodegradability—shape biological interactions such as cellular uptake, immune response, biodistribution, and therapeutic efficacy.

My previous work includes biodegradable silica-based nanoparticles for photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging, afterglow nanosensors for disease monitoring, and surface-engineered nanomaterials for immunoassays and cell–material interactions. Through these studies, I aim to design nanomaterials that move beyond passive delivery platforms and instead function as adaptive systems that interact with complex biological environments.

A central challenge in nanomedicine is that materials with strong in vitro performance often lose efficacy in vivo due to biological barriers, heterogeneous tissue microenvironments, and limited control over delivery. My work addresses this challenge by developing nanomaterials that respond to local biochemical, structural, and physiological cues to improve therapeutic precision and translational potential.