Dheeraj Krshan Agrohia (Vachet group) received PPG Fellowship for outstanding research in the area of materials chemistry.

Research: Polymeric nanocarriers (PNCs) are versatile drug-delivery vehicles capable of delivering a variety of therapeutics. Quantitatively monitoring their in vivo biodistribution is essential for realizing their potential as next-generation delivery systems; however, existing quantification strategies are limited due to the challenges of detecting polymeric materials in complex biological samples. My research in the Vachet lab focuses on developing measurement tools to study how PNCs and their cargos are distributed in vivo. With the support of the PPG fellowship, I will be working to develop a new mass spectrometry imaging method that can quantitatively monitor how multiple distinct PNCs and their cargos are distributed in different organs in a single set of experiments. This multiplexing capability should improve the design and optimization of PNCs by minimizing biological variability and reducing analysis time, effort, and cost. Also, it will minimize the need for multiple animals.