Pronouns: she/her
Major: Chemistry
Title: Graduate Research Assistant/Graduate Teaching Assistant
Awards: NL Tartar Summer Research Fellowship, Department of Chemistry Fellowship,
Hobbies: My hobbies are playing volleyball, weightlifting, hiking, and baking.
Research Description: My research centers on the design and synthesis of bismuth nanoparticles with exceptional long-term stability, aimed at advancing their use as contrast agents for X-ray imaging and as tools for the treatment of breast cancer. A key focus of my work is unraveling the cellular uptake mechanisms of these nanoparticles and exploring their toxicological effects, particularly in non-cancerous cells—a crucial step toward ensuring their safety and effectiveness.
By bridging materials science and biomedical engineering, this research holds the promise of enabling earlier and more accurate breast cancer diagnoses, ultimately contributing to reduced patient mortality.
My academic journey began at Shandong University of Science and Technology, where I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering, with a focus on materials for hydrogen storage—a foundation that continues to inform my approach to nanomaterials and their applications in medicine.
Email: tomek@oregonstate.edu