Focus on the faculty: Jin Xie

Associate professor of chemistry Jin Xie is using nanotechnology to make chemotherapy and radiation therapy more effective while minimizing their toxic side effects:

What are your favorite courses and why?

I redeveloped the nanomaterials course, and I enjoy teaching it. Nanotechnology, especially nanobiotechnology, is a highly interdisciplinary field, and it is rapidly evolving. In this course, I not only introduce basic nanoparticle synthesis methods and characterizations but also talk about the frontier breakthroughs that make an impact in the clinic and in daily lives.

How do you describe the scope and impact of your research or scholarship to people outside of your field?

We are developing nanoparticle therapeutics that can improve chemotherapy and radiation therapy efficacy without inducing extra toxicities. We believe some of the technologies have a great potential in clinical translation and we are working actively toward the goal.

How does your research or scholarship inspire your teaching, and vice versa?

I learn from research on a daily basis, and I incorporate these materials in my teaching. I think it is a good way to narrow the gap between classic textbooks and modern research.

For more about the great people and research programs in the department of chemistry, visit chem.uga.edu

Image: Photo of Jin Xie with students by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA