Previous Labs

Assistant Professor of Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma. A key aspect of our research is to harness nanomedicine for clinical translational applications. Our research efforts combine various interdisciplinary approaches to address the current limitations in clinical biomedical applications. To achieve this purpose, we use techniques to manipulate molecular-level interactions to design and synthesize materials with unique capabilities; for example: Self-assembling nanoparticles for site-specific delivery platforms, the tracking of intracellular interactions using active cargo, and activated self-assembly strategies for disrupting malignant cells.

The human genome and the genomic inventory of the microflora that human life depends on are complete yet the essence of how commensal E.coli colonizes the intestine is not understood. In this NIH-funded laboratory, researchers use DNA microarrays and genetics to unravel the carbon nutrition of E. coli colonized in the mouse intestine. It has recently been shown that gastrointestinal pathogens are able to infect healthy individuals by competing for a different set of nutrients than do the harmless members of our normal commensal microbiota. 

Associate Professor of School of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma. A key aspect of our research is to develop medical devices/treatments to restore damaged hearing and balancing function caused by various injuries. Our research focuses on measurements hearing/balancing damage by blast or chronic noise and develop hearing protection protocol /devices for personnel exposed to various noises. We also make research efforts combine various interdisciplinary approaches to address the issue of tinnitus and aging hearing and balancing loss. Another research goal is to develop a comprehensive ear computational model to do full analysis including mechanics, electricity and physiology simulation, providing a future virtual model for medical professionals to perform clinical procedures.

Assistant professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma (OU), with his research centered around soft tissue biomechanics and biomaterials design (http://ou.edu/coe/ame/bbdl/). Dr. Lee is the recipient of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientist Development Grant (2016-2020) and the OU Nancy L. Mergler Faculty Mentor Award for Undergraduate Research (2018). He is member of AHA, ASME, and USACM.

Professor of Ecology. Dr. Luo’s research program is designed to study processes and patterns in ecosystem ecology and biogeochemical cycles. Major issues we are addressing include (1) how global environmental changes alter function and structure of terrestrial ecosystems, and (2) how terrestrial ecosystems regulates climate change and chemical composition (such as CO2) in the atmosphere. Our research is aimed at quantifying dynamics of carbon, nutrient, and water resources in ecosystems. We study a variety of ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, deserts, and coastal wetlands.Our laboratory uses both modeling and experimental approaches. With respect of modeling, we focus on development and testing of biogeochemical models at ecosystem and regional scales. Our current efforts are on development of an inverse modeling approach to parameter estimation and model improvement. Our inverse modeling uses data from the Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment in the Duke Forest, AmeriFlux sites and biometrical measurements.

The Advanced Center for Genome Technology (ACGT) at the University of Oklahoma's Chemistry Department has been a designated Genome Center by the National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH-NHGRI) since 1990 and is one of the first three laboratories involved in the world-wide Human Genome Project. Since then the ACGT has mapped (sequenced) the first completed human chromosome, human chromosome 22, discovering the genes involved in several forms of mental retardation, brain cancer, leukemia and schizophrenia. ACGT's research presently is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, US Department of Agriculture and the Noble Foundation.  

Our research addresses questions on the structure, function, and evolution, of microbial communities within the context of two distinct ecological niches; the Human microbiome, and Hypersaline environments. We employ a wide range of conventional molecular biology and microbiology techniques, coupled with second generation sequencing and informatics, to address these questions. Current research projects include exploring gut microbial diversity and function among people across distinct lifeways, Algal-Archaeal interactions in hypersaline environments, and long-term preservation of biomolecules in salt cores.

Dr. Schmidtke's research interests are in the design and development of new analytical devices and technologies for medical therapy, and lie at the interface of medicine and engineering. His current research can be divided into three research directions: 1. Cell Adhesion; 2. Microfabrication; and 3. Biosensors 

Assistant Professor of Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma. Optical imaging methods have become very powerful tools in biomedical research since they can achieve both high spatial and temporal resolutions. The focuses of my research group include optical coherence tomography, multiphoton microscopy, fluorescence laminar optical tomography, development of novel quantitative multi-modal optical imaging devices and their applications in brain functional imaging, tissue engineering, clinical translation and cancer research.

Assistant Professor in the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering. The Biomedical Nano-Engineering Laboratory led by Dr. Stefan Wilhelm focuses on engineering colloidal nanomaterials for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, including cancer. Our areas of expertise include the design and synthesis of organic and inorganic nanomaterials with defined physicochemical properties (e.g., size, shape, surface chemistry, optical/magnetic features). Our group aims to study and understand interactions between nanomaterials and biological systems from a whole organ/tissue level down to the cellular and bio-molecular level. This research will provide a foundation for the rational design of nanomaterials and nanomedicines with the ultimate goal of developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for clinical translation.