Though it has been only 6 months since Sharon Gerecht and Hai-Quan Mao took on their roles as director and associate director, respectively, Gerecht and Mao are flourishing in their new leadership roles in the Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT). After a decade at the helm, the Institute’s visionary co-founders and directors Peter Searson and Denis Wirtz confidently entrusted the future of INBT to these new leaders.

Gerecht and Mao embrace INBT’s mission and visions of forging new ground in the cross-field of nanoscience, engineering, and medicine. As these ambitious leaders bring INBT into the next decade of innovations and challenges, their focus is on three main research areas: engineering for cancer therapies, stem cells and regenerative engineering, and diagnostic tools engineered for early detection. With these new research areas to guide INBT, Gerecht and Mao are enthusiastic about the future innovations and technologies to be discovered. 

In May 2017, Gerecht and Mao organized the 11th successful NanoBio Symposium; the annual symposium at INBT that highlights the most recent research in nanobiotechnology. It hosted over 125 attendees, 60 student poster presentations, and guest speakers representing some of the best leaders in their field at Cornell, Tufts, University of California San Diego, and Johns Hopkins University. The success of their first major event is an exciting sign that Gerecht and Mao will lead the INBT community through more prosperous outcomes.

INBT has been successful in its commitment to research, education, partnerships, and outreach.  Under Gerecht’s and Mao’s leadership, they will ensure the Institute continues to be a prosperous, renowned collaborative facility.