Prof. Gong's research group focuses on the design, synthesis/fabrication, and characterization of novel biomaterials and nanomaterials. Many of our on-going projects are multidisciplinary, bridging engineering with materials science, chemistry, and the life sciences. Some of our on-going efforts include:

• Multifunctional nanocarriers (e.g., silica nanocapsules, unimolecular nanoparticles, polymer micelles and vesicles, polymer nanocages, functionalized inorganic nanoparticles) for the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents which can be used to treat and diagnose various types of diseases (e.g., brain diseases, vascular diseases,  eye diseases, liver diseases, and cancers).
• CRISPR genome editing
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Tissue engineering scaffolds enabling cell therapy
• Antimicrobial materials
• Multifunctional polymer nanocomposites for various applications including flexible electronics and sensors

Shaoqin "Sarah" Gong, PhD

• Vilas Distinguished Professor
• Advancing Vision Science Chair Professor
• RRF Edwin and Dorothy Gamewell Professor
• Kellett Mid-Career Award 2018-2023

Education

• BS, Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
• BS, Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
• MS, Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
• PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Affiliations

• Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
• Department of Materials Science and Engineering
• Department of Chemistry
• UW McPherson Eye Research Institute
• UW Carbone Cancer Center
• Wisconsin Stem Cell Research Program

Honors, Awards, and Societies

• Associate Editor: Med-X journal, 2023-Present
• Retina Research Foundation Edwin and Dorothy Gamewell Professor, 2022–Present
• Advancing Vision Science Professorship, 2021–Present
• Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Innovation Award, 2021
• Draper Technology Innovation Fund Award, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2022
• Kellett Mid-Career Award, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2018–2023
• Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2017
• NIH Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award for Faculty in Physical Sciences, 2013–2018
• NSF CAREER Award, 2007–2012
• Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship, 2014–Present
• Vilas Associate Award, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2014–2016
• Board of Directors, Chinese American Society of Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 2016–2023
• Associate Editor for Biomaterials, 2014–2015 Editorial
• Board Member of Biomaterials, Theranostics, Biofabrication, and Nanotheranostics
• Advisory Board Member of Biomaterials Science

• Zhu J., Xie R., Gao R., Zhao Y., Yodsanit N., Zhu M., Burger, J.C., Ye M., Tong, Y., Gong, S.* Multimodal nanoimmunotherapy engages neutrophils to eliminate Staphylococcus aureus infections, Nature Nanotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01648-8, 2024.
• Lee, I.-K., Xie, R., Luz-Madrigal, A., Min, S., Zhu, J., Jin, J., Edwards, K.L., Phillips, M.J., Ludwig, A.L., Gamm, D.M.*, Gong, S.*, Ma, Z*. Micromolded Honeycomb Scaffold Design to Support the Generation of a Bilayered RPE and Photoreceptor Cell Construct, Bioactive Materials, 30, 142-153, 2023. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X23002323
• Shirasu, T., Yodsanit, N., Li, J., Huang, Y., Xie, X., Tang, R., Wang, Q., Zhang, M., Urabe, G., Webb, A., Wang, Y., Wang, X., Xie, R., Wang, B., Kent, K.C.*, Gong, S.*, Guo, L.-W.*, Neointima abating and endothelium preserving—An adventitia-localized nanoformulation to inhibit the epigenetic writer DOT1L, Biomaterials, 122245, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37467597/
• Zhang, Y., Sriramaneni, R.N., Clark, P.A., Jagodinsky, J.C., Ye, M., Jin, W., Wang, Y., Bates, A., Kerr, C.P., Le, T., Allawi, R., Wang, X., Xie, R., Havighurst, T.C., Chakravarty, I., Rakhmilevich, A.L., O’Leary, K.A., Schuler, L.A., Sondel, P.M., Kim, K., Gong, S. *, Morris, Z.S. *, Multifunctional Nanoparticle Potentiates the In Situ Vaccination Effect of Radiation Therapy and Enhances Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade, Nature Communications, 13 (1), 1-17, 2022. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32645-x
• Ye, M., Zhao, Y., Wang, Y., Xie, R., Tong, Y., Sauer, J.D., and Gong, S.*, NAD(H)-Loaded Nanoparticles for Efficient Sepsis Therapy via Modulating Immune and Vascular Homeostasis, Nature Nanotechnology, 17, 880–890, 2022. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-022-01137-w
• Ye, M., Zhao, Y., Wang, Y., Zhao, M., Yodsanit, N., Xie, R., Andes, D., and Gong, S.*, A dual-responsive antibiotic-loaded nanoparticle specifically binds pathogens and overcomes antimicrobial-resistant infections, Advanced Materials, 2006772, 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202006772
• Zhao, Y., Xie, R., Yodsanit, N., Ye, M., Wang, Y., and Gong, S.*, “Bioengineered fibrin-targeted and H2O2-responsive nanocarriers for thrombus therapy,” Nano Today, 35, 100986, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7561002/
• Chen, G., Abdeen, A., Wang, Y., Shahit, P.K., Robertson, S., Xie, R., Suzuki, M., Pattnaik R., Saha, K.*, and Gong, S.*, A Biodegradable Nanocapsule Delivers a Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complex for in vivo Genome Editing, Nature Nanotechnology,14, 974–980, 2019. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-019-0539-2
• Jung, Y., Chang, T., Zhang, H., Yao, C. Zheng, Q., Yang, V., Mi, H., Kim, M., Cho, S., Park, D., Jiang, H., Lee, J., Qiu, Y., Cai, Z., Gong, S.*, and Ma, Z.*, High-Perfor­mance Flexible Electronics Based on Biodegradable Cellulose Nanofibril Paper, Nature Communication, 6 (7170), 2015. DOI:10.1038/ncomms8170
• Liu, F., Ma, F., Wang, Y., Hao, L., Zeng, H., Jia, C., Wang, Y., Liu, P., Ong, I., Li, B., Chen, G., Jiang, J., Gong, S.*, Li, L.*, and Xu, W.*, PKM2 Methylation by CARM1 Activates Aerobic Glycolysis to Promote Tumorigenesis, Nature Cell Biology, 19 (11), 1358–1370, 2017. DOI: 10.1038/ncb3630