The research programs in the Zhao group focus on organic and materials chemistry and branch out into the related fields of biological, physical, and medicinal chemistry. We utilize interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the emerging problems at the forefront of chemistry and materials, aiming to address some of the technological needs in today’s society, such as responsive nanomaterials, general approach for controlled drug delivery, and sensing devices for medical diagnostics and gene-chip technologies. The applications in cancer therapy, energy, and sensor technology are keenly investigated at the more advanced stages. Those undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars who get involved in these programs will gain multi-faceted knowledge in several areas. They will participate in the transformation of simple compounds into more complex ones, and ultimately into advanced materials for real life applications. Along the way, students will learn the design, synthesis, and characterization skills. The research experience will leave students with a broad and balanced expertise, capable of undertaking challenges in the academic and in a variety of industrial settings
