Welcome to the Shields Lab!
Our group works at the intersection of chemistry, soft matter physics and bioengineering to develop colloidal and super-colloidal particles for a range of applications. We have three broad goals: (i) to understand how particles interact in and out of equilibrium and, in turn, how to tailor their microscale and nanoscale properties (e.g., size, shape and composition) to control their behaviors in various fluid environments; (ii) to apply insights from (i) to create collections of engineered particles that interface with biology and perform complex tasks (e.g., actuate and release encapsulated cargo); and (iii) to integrate our pipeline of engineered particles into microfluidic and other devices to enable the development of new diagnostic technologies and therapeutic strategies.
