Dr. Congzhou Wang Engineers New Materials to Target Cancer Cells

Dr. Congzhou Wang, an Associate Professor of the Department of Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, is an engineer who likes to create tools and technologies. His research focuses on the development of new materials for biomedical applications, including cancer therapies. 

Dr. Wang’s laboratory, in collaboration with Dr. Steve Smith (Department Head and Professor with expertise in nanoscience), is working to engineer nanomaterials that target migrating and drug-resistant cancer cells so that they become more responsive to treatments. They are shining a laser on a black phosphorus nanosheet (a type of nanomaterial) that is delivered into cancer cells to see if that makes them more sensitive to chemotherapy. 

This cancer research is supported by an NIH Research Enhancement Award (R15), which is a grant mechanism that supports small-scale research projects at institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH funding. According to Dr. Wang, R15 funding is important because it helps young people from areas with limited resources learn about opportunities and careers in science. 

In addition to his scientific studies, Dr. Wang is also a teacher who works to get engineering students excited about fundamental cancer research. In his classes, he explains, “First you need to understand the science and how cancer works. Then, based on the science, you can use an engineering strategy to change the biology of a cancer.”

During his lectures, he also often shows beautiful high-resolution single-cell images and movies from his lab, which look like eye-catching images on social media. This helps get individuals in his courses interested in exploring cancer biology. 

Dr. Wang also encourages undergraduate students to get involved in biomedical research projects and scientific experiments. When describing how he mentors trainees in his lab, he said, “The first thing I do is listen. I try to work with each student using a strategy tailored to their individual needs. I try to understand what they're thinking, what they want to do, as well as their concerns and ideas. I want them to know that they are valuable scientists and that I hear their perspectives.”

Along with coaching the next generation of scientists, Dr. Wang learns from his students. “They are very creative and have a different way of thinking. They can also learn new things and change directions very quickly in terms of experimental design, so I am trying to be flexible like them,” he explained.