James Kwan

James Kwan’s work primarily focuses on the use of mechanical, thermal, and chemical effects of ultrasound and cavitation to address challenges in personal and environmental health. Specifically, his current research concentrates on developing ultrasound-responsive micro- or nanoparticles that facilitate localised heating, mass transport, and/or free radical formation. He also has an interest in understanding the biological effects of ultrasound and cavitation on bacterial biofilms.

Prior to joining Balliol, James completed his BS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MS, MPhil, and PhD from Columbia University. He conducted his postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and at the University of Oxford. During his time at Oxford, he was also a Junior Research Fellow at New College and worked at OxSonics, an Oxford spinout company. In 2016, he joined Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, as an Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

Research Interests

James Kwan's research interests include the application of mechanical, thermal, and chemical effects of ultrasound and cavitation to address challenges in personal and environmental health.

Sonochemistry

Sonochemistry is the use of ultrasound and cavitation to promote chemical reactions. We are interested in controlling cavitation with nanoparticles to enhance free radical production, generate reactive oxygen species, and manipulate covalent and non-covalent bonds.

Drug Delivery

A number of diseases remain difficult to treat due to the inability to reliably deliver potent therapeutics to the site of the injury. Our group is interested in using cavitation to facilitate the targeted transport of therapeutics.

Biofilms

Many medical and environmental infections are comprised of biofilms. We hope to elucidate the bioeffects of ultrasound on biofilms and the governing mechanisms for biofilm removal to develop new technologies for biofilm treatment or modification