Center for Nanoscale Materials and Biointegration (CNMB)

Director:  Yogesh K. Vohra, PhD

Established:  2006

 

Mission and Demographics

The Center for Nanoscale Materials and Biointegration (CNMB) is an interdisciplinary research and education center focusing on the use of nanotechnologies for biomedical applications.  Physically located in Campbell Hall, the Center is housed within the Department of Physics and is composed of investigators from five different UAB Schools, including the Schools of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Business, Dentistry, Engineering, and Medicine.  Investigators represent research expertise from a variety of fields, including physics, materials science, biomaterials and biomedical engineering, cell biology, orthopedics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.  

 

Center Research and Infrastructure

The CNMB provides the infrastructure at UAB to enhance research in nanotechnologies and biomaterials through communication, research coordination, resource sharing, and support for the development of new initiatives.  The ability to synthesize increasingly smaller materials and structures has played a key role in the advancement of materials research at UAB and their applications to numerous other fields, including the biosciences and medicine.  Six areas of research guide the Center’s work: 1) nanostructured diamond and other superhard materials,

2) nanostructured hydroxyapatite coatings for biomedical implants, 3) polymeric biomaterials for vascular grafts and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering, 4) nanoparticles for enhanced biomedical imaging and biosensing, 5) dental and orthopedic implant applications, and 6) industrial partnerships and commercialization.  Experimental facilities associated with the CNMB are located in Campbell Hall, the Environmental Science Building (Southern Research Institute), the Business and Engineering Complex, and the McCallum Basic Health Sciences Building.  These facilities include state-of-the-art equipment for the fabrication, characterization, and biointegration of nanomaterials into orthopedic and dental implants and biomaterials for regenerative medicine.

 

Training

The CNMB trains undergraduate and graduate students, high school teachers, and scientists newly recruited to nanotechnologies in techniques, procedures, and materials development unique to biointegration for human health.  The Center also serves as a national resource for scientific findings and evolving technologies in the field of nanotechnologies and biomaterials.  The undergraduate training at CNMB is facilitated through a Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  The graduate training at CNMB is funded by a nanotechnology predoctoral training grant by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).

 

For additional information:

            Director:  Yogesh K. Vohra, PhD

            Email:  ykvohra@uab.edu  

            Phone:  205-934-6662

            Program Coordinator:  Charita H. Cadenhead

            Email:  charita@uab.edu

            Phone:  205-975-8076

            Web site:  http://www.uab.edu/cnmb/

 

 

Approved by:  Yogesh K. Vohra, PhD, Director

Date:  December 6, 2007

 

 

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