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Zhang Lab
Our Research Thrusts
We work at the interface of materials science, engineering, immunology, and
translational medicine. Our research is currently organized into three main thrusts:
1. Inflammation Targeting
We design drug delivery systems that selectively target inflamed tissues to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce off-target effects. This includes engineering strategies to recognize and respond to inflammatory microenvironments in the gut and other affected organs involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
2. Mucosal Healing
We investigate how biomaterials and delivery platforms can promote tissue repair and immune balance at mucosal surfaces, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal tissue—supporting epithelial regeneration and long-term barrier restoration.
3. Microbiome Modulation
We explore how engineered materials and delivery systems can modulate the gut microbiome, aiming to influence microbial communities or their metabolites in ways that support immune health, mucosal healing, and disease resolution.
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge research support from the following agencies and organizations:
