Associate Professor
University of Connecticut
Dr. Nguyen joined UConn since the beginning of 2016 after finishing his postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Robert Langer at MIT. His research is at the interface of biomedicine, materials and nano/micro technology. He invented a platform technology which can create 3-dimensional microstructures of biodegradable polymers for applications in vaccine/drug delivery. Specifically, he developed a method, so-called SEAL (StampEd Assembly of Polymer Layers) to create single-injection vaccines. Recently, his research group at UConn has developed the SEAL method further to create a skin microneedle patch (similar to Nicotine patch) which can be applied on the skin at a single time to deliver multiple bursts of stabilized vaccines against different pathogens. Besides, his group also works on the other field of biodegradable piezoelectrics wherein he developed implanted self-stimulated tissue scaffolds, force-sensors and ultrasound transducers for regenerating tissues, monitoring vital intra-organ pressures and delivering medicines through the blood-brain barrier, respectively.