Jenna Rickus has developed an internationally recognized program in the synthesis and application of biofunctional materials for biosensors and biocompatible therapeutics. She is a full professor of biological and biomedical engineering at Purdue University and is a member of the Birck Nanotechnology Center, Bindley Bioscience Center, and Center for Implantable Devices at Purdue University. She has been a member of the USDA committee on nanotechnology and biosensors for over 10 years and is an incoming member of the NIH study section on Biomaterials and Biointerfaces.
Dr. Rickus completed her Ph.D. at UCLA under the guidance of Allan Tobin, an expert in the biology of GABA and its role in disease (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes), and Bruce Dunn, a pioneer in bio-hybrid silica and sol-gel synthesis. Since establishing her own research lab in 2003, Dr. Rickus' research has been supported by numerous competitive grants from the government (NSF, NIH, USDA, Army Research Office, NASA), private foundations, and industry. Her work has been presented internationally in Canada, China, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, Switzerland and France. She has authored 47 peer reviewed journal and proceedings papers as well as 2 book chapters and 2 genomes.
