Areas of Interest

• Cr- and Ni-induced cancers
  
• Vanadium and Cr(III) anti-diabetic drugs
• Ruthenium and gallium anti-cancer drugs
• X-ray absorption spectroscopy of drugs, biological fluids, cells and tissues
• Vibrational spectroscopic imaging and mapping of cells and tissues in drug treatments and understanding diseases
  
• Structural and spectroscopic studies of heme proteins
  
• Electrochemistry
  
• Copper anti-inflammatory drugs
  
• Fullerene and fulleride electrochemistry and spectroscopy
  
• Inorganic reaction mechanisms
  
• Solvation, pi-backbonding and pi-bonding effects on reactivity of transition metal complexes

Research

Bioinorganic Chemistry: Various aspects of the chemistry, biochemistry and cell biology of transition metal complexes of Cr and Ni (occupational cancers), V and Cr(III) (anti-diabetic agents), Ga and Ru (anti-cancer agents), Fe (heme proteins), and Cu (anti-inflammatory drugs) have been studied. A wide variety of spectroscopic, structural, biochemical and cell biology techniques have been employed to understand better the bioinorganic chemistry of these transition metals and to develop protective dietary protocols for metal induced cancers and to develop new potential pharmaceuticals.

Biospectroscopy, Imaging, and Mapping: Complementary imaging and mapping using X-ray absorption (synchrotron-induced X-ray emission, X-ray absorption near edge-structure), proton-induced X-ray emission, vibrational (FTIR and Raman), phase-contrast (X-ray and visible), fluorescence, and other spectromicroscopies are being used to study changes in biodistributions and concentrations of elements and biochemicals in cells and tissues as a result of diseases processes and their treatment.  Biospectroscopy is also being used to develop new disease diagnostics.  Diseases being studied include, cancer, diabetes, graft-versus host disease, malaria, meningitis, Parkinson's disease and other bacterial and viral infections.

Physical Inorganic Chemistry: A large range of spectroscopic, electrochemical and structural techniques has been used to gain fundamental insights into chemical reactivity of transition metal complexes and solvation effects on chemical reactivity. This also includes detailed studies of fullerenes and fullerides.

 

 

keywords: metallodrugs