Jul 26, 2012
Leading nanomedicine researcher joins School of Dentistry
Professor
Dean Ho has joined the UCLA School of Dentistry to help lead the development of the school’s biomaterials science and bioengineering Center of Excellence. He holds faculty appointments in the divisions of Oral Biology and Medicine and Advanced Prosthodontics, Biomaterials and Hospital Dentistry.
Ho’s expertise in nanomedicine and the application of diamond-based platforms for therapeutic delivery and imaging also will serve as a foundation for the translational research efforts at the School of Dentistry, and the broad applications of his nanomaterial platforms will catalyze collaborative initiatives with other schools in the UCLA research community.
Ho holds both a Ph.D. and an M.S. in biomedical engineering from UCLA. Prior to joining the UCLA faculty, he was an associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. He leads an internationally-recognized team focused on the development of nanodiamond platforms for drug delivery and imaging.
His research group has developed multiple approaches towards improved therapeutic efficiency and safety using the nanodiamond vehicle and applications have included gene delivery, therapeutic protein release for potential wound healing use, and most notably, cancer therapy. Ho’s research achievements have been covered by CNN and NPR and was recently featured as the cover story in the research journal "Science Translational Medicine."
"We are pleased that Dr. Ho has joined our faculty and we look forward to using his expertise in the areas of biomaterials science," said No-Hee Park, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. "Dr. Ho will be a valuable asset to the School of Dentistry and to the entire campus."
"The research work currently being done at the School of Dentistry is cutting edge, and I hope to combine this and my background in biomedical engineering and drug delivery systems to making advancements in cancer treatment and diagnosis," said Ho.
