Diana-Andra Borca-Tasciuc, assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace, and
nuclear engineering at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, has won a Faculty Early Career Development Award
(CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Borca-Tasciuc will use the five-year, $425,000 award to further her research
into using nanoparticles heated by an alternative magnetic field to fight cancer.
“We are extremely proud of Dr. Borca-Tasciuc and congratulate her for
this impressive achievement,” said David Rosowsky, dean of Rensselaer’s
School of Engineering. “CAREER Awards are reserved for the brightest and
most promising young researchers, and Dr. Borca-Tasciuc certainly is befitting
of such an honor. I am confident her research program will be successful, and
look forward to seeing its potential impact on the development of new heat-mediated
therapies for cancer.”
Borca-Tasciuc will look at the fundamental heat generation and heat transport
mechanisms of nanoparticles heated in an alternating magnetic field, and investigate
if and how these mechanisms change when the nanoparticles are embedded in biological
media. Optimizing this heating process is critical for reducing the concentration
of nanoparticles, and in turn lowering the risks associated with potential side
effects of exposure to such materials. Engineering nanoparticles with enhanced
heating capabilities is also important for treating small tumors, which deflect
heat easily.
A more robust understanding of nanoparticle heat generation for cancer hyperthermia
applications could also lead to key advancements in other areas such as nanoparticle-based
gene therapy, Borca-Tasciuc said.
The CAREER Award is given to faculty members at the beginning of their academic
careers and is one of NSF’s most competitive awards, placing emphasis
on high-quality research and novel education initiatives.
Borca-Tasciuc joined the Rensselaer faculty in 2006. She received her bachelor’s
degree in physics from Bucharest University in 1996, and went on to earn her
master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the University
of California, Los Angeles.
Funding to Borca-Tasciuc from the NSF was awarded as part of the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). To date, Rensselaer has received more than
$4.8 million in funding through the ARRA.
Posted September 9th, 2009
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