Nanoscience Faculty & Staff

Associate Professor, Physics

Prof. Emori’s research interests are in nanometer-thick materials with robust spin-driven physics. Many of the physical phenomena studied are pronounced at room temperature and are essential for next-generation computing and communications technologies. Examples include low-loss spin dynamics in epitaxial oxide thin films, spin torque effects arising from thin-film interfaces, and chiral domain walls in ultrathin heterostructures. The group’s experimental capabilities encompass synthesis of high-quality magnetic thin films and heterostructures, tabletop measurements of spin transport and dynamics, and element-specific static and dynamic magnetic characterization at synchrotron facilities.

Prof. Emori received an $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2022 to research "the fundamental impact of chemical gradients on magnetic switching, and then leverage this basic scientific knowledge to improve the energy efficiency of information-technology devices.”

Professor, Biological Sciences
Director, Molecular Diagnostics Lab
Interim Director, Cancer Research Group

Dr. Finkielstein is Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, Director of the Integrated Cellular Responses Laboratory, and Member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation.

She has more than fifteen years experience as an accomplished scholar, teacher, and researcher. She founded the Integrated Cellular Responses Laboratory (ICRL) at Virginia Tech where her group works to understand the contribution of environmental factors on breast cancer initiation and progression.

Dr. Finkielstein's laboratory has produced over 40 publications and book chapters in the field, including articles in top journals such as Nature and Cell. In addition, She has filled and commercialized patents, trained over 120 undergraduate students that continued their graduate education in top and Ivy League Universities, and graduated numerous MSc and PhDs in the last years. Furthermore, Dr. Finkielstein has been running an international high school exchange program that has facilitated a new cultural and scientific experience to many Virginia and Argentinean students.

Professor, Chemistry

Dr. Liu earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Zhejiang University (P. R. China) in 2005. Before completing his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (advisor, Dr. Paul F. Nealey), he worked at HGST, a Western Digital® company (California), to apply his findings on 15-nm block copolymer lithography in magnetic data storage in 2010. After completing his doctorate in 2011, he conducted postdoctoral research at Northwestern University (advisor, Dr. Chad A. Mirkin), where he was named an Outstanding Researcher in the International Institute for Nanotechnology. 

He joined as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and an affiliated professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech in Fall 2014. He is also an assistant professor of Nanoscience in the Academy of Integrated Science (AIS) and is affiliated with the Virginia Tech Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology (VTSuN)and the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute (MII), a Macromolecular Science and Engineering program at Virginia Tech.

Liu has four patents assigned to Western Digital® and one patent licensed to Intel®.

Collegiate Assistant Professor, Nanoscience

Professor of Nanoscience
Associate Director, Academy of Integrated Science
Division Leader of AIS Nanoscience Program
Luther and Alice Hamlett Junior Faculty Fellow

Dr. Michel's work in environmental nanoscience revolves around two fundamental and interrelated questions: “How do different crystallization processes affect the basic atomic structural, physical and chemical attributes of nanosized and nanostructured materials?” and, in turn, “How do these factors relate to and affect the fundamental behavior and/or function of nanomaterials in natural or artificial (applied) systems?”

His research related to these questions can be partitioned into 3 main categories that address significant challenges in our understanding of nanoparticle formation and behavior: (i) quantitative assessment of structure-property relationships in natural and engineered nanomaterials, (ii) deciphering the diversity of pathways and mechanisms involved in nanoparticle crystallization, and (iii) developing new methodologies for probing novel mechanisms of nanoparticle formation in real time (i.e., in situ).

He implements a suite of advanced scattering, spectroscopic, imaging, and computational tools to obtain and interpret atomic-scale information that he uses to develop holistic, 3D models of nanoparticle structure. He pursues both empirical and methodological questions, often combining the two. A unique and key aspect of his current research is that he is striving to understand the concomitant evolution of nanoparticle structure and properties by measuring crystallizing systems in real time. Developing new knowledge in these areas will benefit our understanding of geological and environmental processes, the potential impacts of engineered nanoparticles to human and ecosystem health, and potentially to new energy-related applications involving NPs.

Associate Professor, Physics

Dr. Nguyen's group works both in experimental condensed and soft matter physics.  In particular, the group is interested in the dynamics of electrons confined in very tiny semiconductor structures and dynamics of biological molecules through Terahertz spectroscopy.

Post-Doctoral Associate, Nanoscience

Dr. Penghui Zhao joined the Virginia Tech Nanoscience Program in the Academy of Integrated Science as a postdoctoral associate in the summer 2025. He teaches Introduction to Nanomedicine along with the laboratories for Advanced Nanomedicine and Nanomaterials Synthesis and Characterization.

Zhao earned his B.S. in chemistry from Henan University and his Ph.D. in applied chemistry from Fuzhou University. Before joining the Academy of Integrated Science, he was a postdoctoral researcher in Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech with Dr. Wujin Sun, focusing on nanomaterials and nanomedicine.

His research lies at the intersection of engineering technology and pure nanoscience research, including microneedles designed for minimally invasive sensing, targeted delivery, and therapy amplification in precision medicine. Zhao has also supervised nanoscience undergraduates in the past and looks forward to continuing to mentor students in research.

Associate Professor, Physics

Collegiate Associate Professor, Academy of Integrated Science
Division Lead for Curricular Programs

Dr. Banerjee has worked in the Academy of Integrated Science since 2016. He teaches in the Systems Biology Program, the Nanoscience Program and the Integrated Science Curriculum Program. 

His research primarily focuses on using deterministic and stochastic modeling to study the dynamics of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC), a crucial cell cycle checkpoint. The SAC is a cellular surveillance mechanism that ensures all chromosomes are properly attached before the separation of sister chromatids during mitosis. It is both sensitive to small changes in chromosome attachment and robust against biological noise in the cellular environment. He collaborates with experimentalists to understand how the SAC achieves these seemingly opposing properties. Additionally, since last year, He has been investigating how cancer cells bypass this checkpoint, allowing them to continue growing and dividing. His interdisciplinary research aligns with the mission of AIS, which aims bring excellent interdisciplinary science education to Virginia Tech undergraduates. 

Associate Professor in Research & Informatics , University Libraries
Professor of Practice
Data Science Faculty Fellow 
Faculty lead for the Discovery Lab

 Dr. Brown's research lab is focused on studying protein structure-function relationships across species and diseases by developing and using cutting-edge molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques and computational, data-rich method. They use MD simulations and computer-aided drug design (CADD) to target proteins involved in a variety of disease, including Alzheimer’s, Type 2 Diabetes, and more, and are developing novel approaches towards drug repurposing in virtual screening pipelines. They also extensively collaborate on the utilization of computational thinking, data science, and discipline-specific computational tools into  research labs and classrooms. In brief, "what we can explore at the atomistic level via simulations can lead us to greater insight and connections to cellular level phenomenon, and our group seeks to have long-term impact and add into the translational science approach of multiscale modeling of proteins in both functional and disease states."

Dr. Brown is also involved in the training, pedagogical impact research, and mentorship of undergraduate research students in these areas supporting 30+ students per semester in her research lab. She has been named an Outstanding Undergraduate Biology Mentor by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the Virginia Tech Outstanding Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Award. Dr. Brown earned her PhD in Biochemistry at Virginia Tech and has a dual undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Physics.

Professor of Biological Sciences
Fellow and Associate Professor, Biocomplexity Institute

Research in Dr. Capelluto's laboratory focuses on adaptor protein trafficking within the endolysosomal system, autophagy, and macropinocytosis. These pathways are essential for cellular homeostasis, as they coordinate cargo recognition, vesicle transport, and degradation. 

Their goal is to define the molecular mechanisms by which adaptor proteins regulate cargo sorting, vesicle tethering, and fusion events across these trafficking routes. We employ biochemical and biophysical approaches to elucidate the structural and functional basis of adaptor protein interactions, identify regulatory binding interfaces, and characterize membrane insertion processes at molecular to atomic resolution. These studies provide mechanistic insight into how adaptor proteins integrate lipid signals with protein trafficking and how their dysregulation contributes to human disease

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

H.C. Dorn joined the faculty at Virginia Tech (VT) in 1974 and initiated a research program that involved analytical applications and development of NMR techniques including direct coupling of high performance liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance, HPLC-NMR. [Anal. Chem., 1980, cit. 46]* Today, the HPLC-NMR technique has evolved as an important multi-million dollar tool in the pharmaceutical and bio-medical fields. [Anal. Chem., 1984, cit. 56] In the mid-1980's the Dorn laboratory initiated a second research area involving electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). These later studies provided new insight toward understanding fundamental nuclear/electron interactions. In these spectroscopic studies, weak intermolecular bonding interactions (e.g. hydrogen bonding) are studied for intermolecular liquid/liquid, solid/liquid, and solid/solid interfaces. Recently, the DNP work has led to new approaches for next generation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instruments currently under development at various sites (Oxford Instruments, GE, Siemens, and other academic institutions.

In the early 1990s, the Dorn laboratory also began a new area of research involving the synthesis, separation, and functionalization of the newly discovered carboneous nanomaterials, nanotubes, fullerenes and metal encapsulated fullerenes (endohedral metallofullerenes). In collaboration with Don Bethune and other scientists at IBM (Almaden), seminal papers involving the first bond length measurements [Science, 1991, cit. 456*] and the corresponding solid-state dynamics of the soccer-ball shaped fullerene, C60 [Science, 1992, cit. 231*] were published. In a collaborative study by VT, the IBM group, and Silvera (Harvard), a new phase of carbon was reported by collapse of solid C60. [Phys. Rev., 1992, cit. 112*] Later, the IBM team and the Dorn laboratory at VT published the first direct confirmation of metal encapsulation in a fullerene cage, Sc2@C84. [Nature, 1994, cit. 106*] In 1999, Dorn and Stevenson (VT) discovered a new family of trimetallic nitride template (TNT) endohedral metallofullerenes A3N@C80 (A=Group IIIB and rare-earth metals). [Nature, 1999, cit. 573*] The trimetallic nitride templated endohedral metallofullerene technology has been licensed to Luna Innovations with a manufacturing plant in Danville, Virginia. In collaboration with Fowler (University of Exeter), we reported the first family of non-classical endohedral metallofullerenes A3N@C68 that are exceptions to the well known isolated pentagon rule (IPR). [Nature, 2000, cit. 236*], In collaboration with Alan Balch (University of Calif., Davis), x-ray structural studies of other cage TNT endohedral metallofullerenes, A3N@C78 [Angew. Chem., 2001, cit. 173*] and mixed TNT derivatives ErSc3N@C80 [JACS, 2000, cit. 128*] were reported. The Dorn Group reported the first exohedral organic functionalization of a TNT endohedral metallofullerene, A3N@C80. [JACS, 2002, cit. 96*] In collaboration with Gibson (VT), the Dorn Group a unique chemical separation of these TNT endohedral metallofullerenes, A3N@C80 based on selective chemical reactivity. [JACS, 2005, cit. 88*] In collaboration with Panos Fatouros, Jim Tatum, and Bill Broaddus (Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU), the Dorn Group published the first in vitro and in vivo results utilizing (TNT) endohedral metallofullerenes as next generation MRI contrast agents. These agents exhibit MRI contrast images 25-30 times superior to commercial MRI agents [Radiology, 2006, cit. 121*]. Recently, the Dorn Group and Professor Alan Balch (UC Davis) have discovered a new non-spherical fullerene cage, namely, a "BuckyEgg," ellipsoidal Tb3N@C84 molecule [JACS, 2006, cit. 118*] and we also reported a new class of heterometallofullerenes, A2@C79N [JACS, 2008, cit. 51*].

Professor, Chemistry

Sr. AVP Research and Innovation

Professor, Physics

Professor, Geosciences

Assistant Professor, School of Neuroscience

Director of the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory

Associate Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
The National Center for Earth and Environmental Nanotechnology Infrastructure

Professor, Physics

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Faculty Affiliate, Global Change Center

Associate Professor, Chemistry

Graduate Admissions Director, Chemistry

Affiliated Professor, Chemistry

The Long group investigates structure-property-morphology-processing relationships of polymers, ranging from high performance thermoplastics and thermosets to biologically-derived/inspired macromolecules. In particular, the Long group focuses on the effect of noncovalent interactions on the resulting polymer properties, including hydrogen bonding and ionic aggregation. The design, performance, and societal implication of novel polymeric materials direct our research platform which focuses on the following impactful technologies: (1) new materials for advanced manufacturing, (2) bio-inspired thermoplastics, (3) adhesive technology, and (4) charged polymers for actuators. Polymers featuring tailored monomer sequences and designs afford microphase separated structures and enhance the performance of adhesives and 3D printing technology.

The use of biologically derived monomers such as urea afford bio-degradable thermoplastics which release significant levels of ammonia. Alternatively, nucleobase-containing polymers afford sequence-controlled adhesives and microphase separated morphologies. 3D printing techniques enables controlled polymer placement, unlocking architectures and constructs never engineered before. Taking advantage of these techniques allows for the unprecedented processing of polyimides or development of time-controlled dissolvable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based constructs. Lastly, structure-property relationship development of high-performance polymers such as polyesters, polysulfones, and polyimides offers opportunities to enhance processing, barrier, stability, and mechanical properties.

Professor, Chemistry

Dr. Matson's lab focuses on developing new materials to address problems in biology, medicine, and sustainability. With a focus on synthetic organic and polymer chemistry as well as self-assembly, they aim to synthesize, characterize, and test these new materials in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner. Current research efforts include:

• Developing methods for the delivery of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a biologically vital signaling agent. To this end they focus on small molecule H2S donors triggered by specific stimuli, polymer and polymer assemblies capable of sustained H2S release, and hydrogels that have the ability to localize H2S delivery.
• Synthesizing and studying bottlebrush polymers with unique shapes, such as tapered (cone-shaped) bottlebrush polymers.
• Preparing new polymers and polymer blends based on a combination of synthetic polymers and naturally occurring polymers such as polysaccharides.
• Investigating dendritic peptides with thermoresponsive properties. We are evaluating these high molecular weight, highly branched peptides as biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery.

Assistant Professor, Chemistry

Naturally occurring small molecules (natural products) have long played a critical role in drug discovery with estimates that over 65% of all approved small molecule drugs are either natural products, derivatives, or contain the pharmacophore of a natural product. Some important examples include taxol (anticancer), rapamycin (immunosuppressive), and penicillin (antibiotic) - these drugs have saved countless lives and influenced healthcare outcomes worldwide. The potent and specific bioactivities of natural products is due to their intricate structures, which result from millions of years of evolutionary selection to fine tune their ecological roles. Beginning in Aug. 2020, my lab will use a function-first approach to discover novel natural products from underexplored environmental niches that self-select for production of biologically active small molecules. For example, we will investigate marine egg mass microbiomes to discover metabolites that deter predation and these compounds could serve as therapeutic leads to treat cancer and infections. We will also study small molecule electron shuttles that deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria use for respiration on solid mineral substrates and work to understand the chemical exchanges between pathogens and symbionts of hard coral. By studying the chemistry of ecological systems, we will uncover new bioactive natural products and unravel biological mysteries.

Professor and Department Chair of Chemistry
Faculty Fellow, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

The finite supply of fossil fuels and the possible environmental impact of such energy sources has garnered the scientific community's attention for the development of alternative, overall carbon-neutral fuel sources. The sun provides enough energy every hour to power the earth for a year. However, two of the remaining challenges that limit the utilization of solar energy are the development of cheap and efficient solar harvesting materials and advances in energy storage technology. Natural photosynthetic systems utilize the sun's energy to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates, nature's stored solar fuel. Artificial photosynthetic systems that can oxidize wear and reduce carbon dioxide efficiently to a solar fuel could represent the breakthrough solar power needs to become a viable energy source. Current efforts include:

• Investigating the structure-function relationship of novel molecular materials for water oxidation, the oxidation of organic compounds, carbon dioxide reduction, and carbon utilization.
• Utilizing pulsed laser techniques to investigate the mechanism of light-harvesting by molecular materials, including energy transfer, upconversion, and photocatalysis.
• Exploring inorganic charge-transfer spin-crossover complexes as catalytic species in long-lived charge-separated states
• Other projects not related to artificial photosynthesis - chemical warfare agent degradation by molecular materials and composite materials for responsive and energy applications.

Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Professor, Physics

Pleimling’s research, which is focused on Statistical Physics and Condensed Matter Physics, has resulted in more than 140 peer-reviewed publications. He is the author of a textbook on aging and non-equilibrium phase transitions and the editor of two books on the same topic. He has been the research advisor of 17 Ph.D. students and of 32 undergraduate students. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Army Research Office, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the European Commission. In 2015 he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society “For seminal and sustained contributions to computational statistical physics, specifically his investigations of complex systems far from thermal equilibrium, and in-depth understanding of non-equilibrium relaxation and physical aging phenomena.”

Pleimling has served his scientific community in various ways. From 2011 until 2014 he served as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society (SESAPS), before being elected in 2015 to the Chair line, which culminated with him serving as Section Chair in 2017, of that regional section of the American Physical Society. He is an Independent Expert helping the European Research Agency with tasks related to research and technological development. Between 2012 and 2017 he served as Vice-Chair of the Physics Panel for the

Marie Curie Individual Fellowships. He is the organizer of numerous scientific meetings, workshops, and focus sessions, and currently serves on the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports (Nature). He is reviewer for the leading research journals in the field and has been recognized in 2016 as an Outstanding Referee for the journals of the American Physical Society and in 2019 as an EPL Distinguished Referee. At the university level he served between 2016 and 2020 on the Stakeholder Committee of the Economical and Sustainable Materials Destination Area.

Pleimling’s teaching excellence has been recognized through different teaching awards. In 2016 he has received both the College of Science Certificate of Teaching Excellence and the University Academy of Teaching Excellence Alumni Teaching Award, before receiving the Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017.

 Dr. Pleimling has led various pedagogical innovations at departmental, college, and university levels. He created the undergraduate course Mathematical Methods in Physics and established, as Chair of the Undergraduate Committee of the Department of Physics, the different options for the Bachelor of Arts in Physics as well as the Minor in Biological Physics. As the College of Science representative (from 2013 until 2019) of the University Curriculum Committee for Liberal Education (now called the University Curriculum Committee for General Education) he has helped creating the university-wide Pathways to General Education program. Together with Prof. John Tyson from the Department of Biological Sciences he developed the Integrated Science Curriculum, a two-year course and lab sequence for majors in the College of Science that covers the fundamentals of Chemistry, Physics, and Biology integrated with Calculus and Linear Algebra (this sequence has been highlighted in Popular Mechanics as “The Future of Science Classrooms”). He has been part of faculty teams that created different new undergraduate programs, including the interdisciplinary majors in Systems Biology and Computational Modeling and Data Analytics (CMDA) as well as the interdisciplinary minors in Materials and Society and in Data and Decisions. During his tenure as Director of the Academy of Integrated Science, the number of majors in the three undergraduate degree programs CMDA, Nanoscience, and Systems Biology, grew from 100 majors in 2015 to 750 majors in 2020.

Associate Professor, Physics

Associate Professor, Chemistry

Dr. Schulz's research group is interested in using the tools of polymer chemistry to address real-world challenges. In particular, we are interested in designing functional materials that interact in a controlled manner with viruses, toxins, metals, or ionizing radiation. Studying these materials provides insight into the interplay among the (co)monomer identity, the polymer architecture, and the designed functionality, ultimately leading to materials that can play an important role in biology, medicine, and the environment.

Assistant Professor

In the Sun Lab, the research interest is at the interface between cell engineering and biomaterial engineering. They are interested in applying synthetic biology tools to engineer cells for therapeutic applications. They are also interested in developing drug delivery systems, such as nano-formulations, wearable devices, and injectable drug-releasing depots. In addition, they are interested in engineering tissue models for transplantation, disease modeling, or personalized prediction of therapeutic efficacy. They are interested in integrating synthetic biology, drug delivery, and tissue engineering techniques to design "Precision Medicine". 

Professor, Epigenomics and Computational Biology,
Professor, Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Xie's research group is particularly interested in strategies to assess epigenetic variation within and between cell populations, and to reveal transcription factors and gene networks controlling epigenetic dynamics during normal development and diseases. The term “epigenetic” mainly refers to histone modifications and DNA methylation, which are alternative ways to control gene expression while maintaining the nucleotide sequence of the genome. In other words, epigenetic changes allow cells with identical genomic content to demonstrate distinct phenotypes.

Professor, Nuclear Engineering
Director, Nuclear Materials and Fuel Cycle Center (NMFC)

Areas of Research

Nuclear materials compatibility (materials corrosion/degradation)
Nuclear fuel materials (metallic fuel, fuel-cladding chemical interactions, fuel-coolant interactions)
Nuclear fuel cycle technology (pyroprocessing)
Electrochemical separation
Nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation
Advanced coolant materials (molten salt, liquid metal)