Education

B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Whitaker College of Health Sciences and Technology and Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Research Interests

Initiative

Professor Leong's research interest focuses on biomaterials design, particularly for synthesis of nanoparticles for gene and immunotherapy, and nanofibers for regenerative medicine applications.

Biomaterials Design:

design of self-assembled fibers for tissue engineering
synthesis of new biodegradable polymers and new polyelectrolytes for drug and gene delivery applied to tissue engineering
synthesis of thermosensitive hydrogels for tissue engineering
Controlled Drug and Gene Delivery:

oral gene delivery for hemophilia A and B
non-viral gene delivery to the GI tract, bladder, and CNS
oral delivery of antigen genes for vaccination
Tissue Engineering:

study of interaction of stem cells with biofunctional polymeric surface
expansion of hematopoietic stem cells
nerve guidance channels with drug and gene delivery functions
microencapsulation of stem cells and genetically-engineered cells
development of bioartificial nucleus pulposus device
study of interaction of SMC and neuronal stem cells with synthetic nanostructured biomaterials

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