Dr. Jinming Gao is a Professor of Oncology and Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacology, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Bioengineering at UT Dallas. More »

Our main research focus is to design, develop and evaluate novel nanomaterials and nanoarchitectures for cancer molecular imaging and targeted therapeutic applications. Two design principles are emphasized throughout research: (1) understand tumor pathophysiology and identify key cancer targets to improve biological specificity, and (2) build innovative nanomedicine platforms with non-linear bioresponsive properties to achieve diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy.

Each project involves multifaceted scientific inquiries in nanomaterial synthesis and supramolecular self-assembly, fluorescent and MR molecular imaging, cancer biology and others. Design of new nanomaterials with unique physical properties arising from nanoscale (but absent in the molecular or bulk states) and can interact with biological systems in non-linear dynamics are particularly seeked to amplify biological signals to improve imaging and therapeutic outcomes. More »

Our lab members are from diverse scientific disciplines in polymer science, physico-organic chemistry, bioengineering, molecular and cell biology, diagnostic imaging, and others. Each lab member develops a focal area of expertise and our successes capitalize on synergistic collaborations among team members. The broad spectrum of scientific expertise and collaborative spirits enable the rapid development of new ideas and devices from bench to bed, and lab to the clinics. Meet the Team »

Positions Available

July 2014, an article titled with "Ultra-pH Sensitive Nanoprobe Library with Broad pH Tunability and Fluorescence Emissions" was accepted in Journal of the American Chemical Society and selected to be featured in ACS Editors' Choice. PDF

June 2014, Chensu Wang, the graduate student in the lab was awarded 2014 Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Student Research Fellowship.

June 2014, a surprising micelle self-assembly process enabled by chaotropic anions with block copolymers containing hydrophobic, cationic ammonium groups has been reported. (Angew. Chem. Inter. Ed.) PDF

December 2013, a nanoparticle-based strategy is established to amplify tumor microenvironmental signals to image a broad range of solid tumors with diverse genotypes and phenotypes. This fluorescence reporter system adds to the existing arsenal in tumor imaging with broad cancer specificity. (Nat. Mater.) PDF