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EDUCATION
Ph.D. (2003) Bioengineering (Biomedical Polymer and Tissue Engineering)
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Dissertation Title: Adult Brain Tissue Response to Hollow Fiber Membranes of Varying Surface Architecture with or without Co-transplanted Cells
M.S. (2000) Materials Science and Engineering (Polymeric Materials)
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Thesis Title: Surface Modification of Micron-size Powders by Plasma Polymerization
B.S. (1994) Chemical Engineering (Polymeric Materials)
Nanjing University of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing, P.R.China
Thesis Title: Crystallization Dynamics and Mechanical Properties of EPDM-blended Polypropylene
POSITIONS AND EMPLOYMENTS
2007 ~ Present Assistant Professor, Bioengineering, Microbiology & Immunology, and Cell Biology & Anatomy; Clemson University and Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
2003~2006 PostDoctoral Fellow; Cell Biology and Anatomy and Bioengineering; Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Project title: The differentiation potential of blood-borne stem cells during normal prenatal development.
- Stem cell research (purification, culture, characterization, and transplantation).
- Transgenic animal research (e.g., chick-quail parabiosis model using LacZ transgenic chicken).
- Biomedical polymers (synthesis, modifications, characterizations, scaffold development and biomedical applications).
- Nanostructured biomaterials (fabrication, modifications, characterizations, and applications).
1999-2003 Research Assistant; Keck Center for Tissue Engineering (Biomedical Polymer & Tissue Engineering); University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Project title: Adult brain tissue response to semi-permeable hollow fiber membranes of varying surface architecture with or without co-transplanted cells
- Neural cell culture, characterization, and transplantation.
- Design and fabrication of 3-D scaffolds of novel biopolymers.
- Implantable biomedical device design, fabrication, and evaluation for biomedical applications.
- Drug delivery vehicles for sustained, localized, and controlled release of therapeutic agents in CNS tissue.
- Tissue engineering strategies to manipulate adult CNS tissue inflammatory response towards implanted biomedical devices.
- In vitro and in vivo animal models to investigate mechanisms underlying tissue response to biomedical devices.
1997 ~ 1999 Research Assistant; Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Project title: Plasma-polymerized ultrathin films on micron-size powders.
- Microspheres, liposomes, and powdery materials properties and chemistry.
- Plasma reactor design, set-up, and evaluation to produce homogenous plasm
- polymer coatings at nano-scale thickness on the surfaces of micron-size powders.
- Polymer synthesis and processing, material surface modifications, and characterizations.
1995 ~ 1997 Research Scientist in Hangzhou Westlake Biomaterials Inc. (Biomaterials R&D); Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R.China
- New biomaterials exploitation, characterizations, implantation, and in vivo evaluation.
- Biocompatibility testing on materials using in vivo inflammation models in rodents/rabbits.
- Modifications of stents and catheters.
- Cell/tissue culture.
- The in vitro and in vivo biological effect of metallic biomaterials corrosion.
1994 ~ 1995 Faculty in the Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Nanchang Advanced College of Engineering, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R.China
HONORS AND AWARDS
DOD Concept Award in Traumatic Brain Injury Research (2008)
Wallace H. Coulter Early Career Award in Translational Biomedical Engineering Research (2008)
Outstanding Student Research Travel Award from Society of Biomaterials (2001)
Graduate Student Recruiting Award, University of Utah (1999-2000)
University Graduate Scholarship, University of Cincinnati (1997-1998)
University Graduate Scholarship, University of Cincinnati (1998-1999)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
[1] Zhang N, Mustin D, Reardon W, Almeida AD, Mozdziak P, Mrug M, Eisenberg LM, and Sedmera D. Blood-borne stem cells differentiate into vascular and cardiac lineages during normal development. Stem Cells Dev 15: 17-28, 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/scd.2006.15.17
[2] Zhang C, Zhang N, Wen X.; Improving the elasticity and cytophilicity of biodegradable polyurethane by changing chain extender. J Biomed Mater Res B; 79(2):335-44, 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.30547
[3] Nichols HL, Zhang N, Wen X. Proteomics and genomics of microgravity. Physiol Genomics;26(3):163-71, 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00323.2005
[4] Zhang N, Nichols HL, Tylor S, Wen X; Fabrication of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite doped degradable composite hollow fiber for guided and biomimetic bone tissue engineering.; (In press and available online) DOI:10.1016/j.msec.2006.05.024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2006.05.024
[5] Xu T, Zhang N, Nichols HL, Shi D, Wen X; Modification of Nanostructured Materials for Biomedical Applications.; Materials Science & Engineering C (In press and available online. DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2006.05.029) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2006.05.029
[6] Nichols HL, Zhang N, Zhang J, Bhaduri S, Shi D, Wen X; Coating nano-thickness degradable films on nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite particles to improve the bonding strength between nanoHA and degradable polymer matrix. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. (In press) http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.31066
[7] Zhang C, Zhang N, Wen X; Synthesis and characterization of biocompatible,degradable, light-curable, polyurethane-based elastic hydrogels. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. (In press) http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.30992
[8] Zhang N, Zhang C, and Wen X; Fabrication of semi-permeable hollow fiber membranes with highly aligned texture for nerve guidance; Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. 75(4):941-949, 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.30495
[9] Zhang N, Yan H, and Wen X; Tissue engineering strategies for axonal guidance; Brain Research Review; 49(1), 48-64, 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.11.002
[10] van Ooij WJ, Zhang N, and Guo S, Surface Modification of micron-size powders by plasma polymerization process. Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Chemically Modified Surfaces. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK, 191-211, 1999
[11] Chen G, Wen X and Zhang N; Corrosion Resistance and Ion Dissolution of Titanium with Different Surface Microroughness; Bio-medical Materials & Engineering; Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 61-74, 1998
[12] Wen X, Zhang N, Li X, Cao Z; Electrochemical and histomorphometric evaluation of the TiNiCu shape memory alloy; Bio-medical Materials & Engineering; Vol. 7, p. 1-11, 1997
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