Kristen Dellinger, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Nanoengineering
Email Address: kdellinger@ncat.edu
Phone: 336.285.2868
Office: 106-6
About
Dr. Kristen Dellinger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nanoengineering at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). A chemical and biomedical engineer by training, her research applies nanotechnology to address pressing challenges in human health and disease.
Her group, the NanoBio Innovation Lab, focuses on three research areas: (1) functionalizing nanoparticles and 2D platforms to create integrated biosensors for biomedical and environmental applications; (2) designing and evaluating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based biosensors for early detection of multifactorial diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; and (3) enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles by engineering them with controlled and stimuli-responsive properties.
She serves as Faculty Advisor of the Materials Research Society Student Chapter at JSNN and is the program coordinator for the Draelos Science Scholars Program, which provides high school students in the Triad with opportunities to participate in advanced research. She is passionate about engaging youth in STEM careers through early exposure to research and loves dogs, yoga, and being outside.
Selected Publications
- Ebrahimi F, Kumari A, Al Abdullah S, Vivero-Escoto JL, Dellinger K* (2025). Surface functionalization of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles with various disease-specific aptamers: RSM-based optimization for multifactorial disease biomarker detection. ACS Sensors. DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c02722
- Al Abdullah S, Ghadami S, Khan MAR, Ebrahimi F, Nowlin K, Ignatova T, Dellinger K* (2025). A SERS-based antibody–aptamer sandwich assay for extracellular vesicle-associated tau detection using gold nanoparticles. Advanced Sensor Research. DOI: 10.1002/adsr.202500034
- Ghadami S, Dellinger K* (2025). Developing and optimizing a biocompatible tauopathy model using extracellular vesicle-mediated gene delivery. Frontiers in Medicine – Gene and Cell Therapy, 12. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1672046
- Ebrahimi F, Kumari A, Dellinger K* (2024). Integration of nanoengineering with artificial intelligence and machine learning in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for the development of advanced biosensing platforms. Advanced Sensor Research. DOI: 10.1002/adsr.202400155
- Al Abdullah S, Najm L, Ladouceur L, Ebrahimi F, Shakeri A, Al-Jabouri N, Didar T*, Dellinger K* (2023). Functional nanomaterials for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease; recent progress and future perspectives. Advanced Functional Materials. *Top 10% of most-viewed papers published by the journal in 2023. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202302673
- Adesoye S, Al Abdullah S, Kumari A, Pathiraja G, Nowlin K, Dellinger K* (2023). Au-coated ZnO surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates: synthesis, characterization, and applications in exosome detection. Chemosensors, 11(11), 554. DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors11110554
- Ghadami S, Dellinger K* (2023). The lipid composition of extracellular vesicles: applications in diagnostics and therapeutic delivery. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences – Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics. DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1198044
- Khan S, Burciu B, Filipe C, Li Y, Dellinger K*, Didar T* (2021). DNAzyme-based biosensors: immobilization strategies, applications, and future prospective. ACS Nano. *25,000+ views. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c04327
- Tinker-Kulberg RT, Dellinger K, Brady TE, Robertson R, Levy JH, Abood SK, Laduca F, Kepley CL, Dellinger A, et al. (2020). Horseshoe crab aquaculture as a sustainable endotoxin testing source. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 153. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00153
- Bowey K, Tanguay JF, Tabrizian M (2012). Liposome technology for cardiovascular disease treatment and diagnosis. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 9(2), 249–265. DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2012.647908
Honors & Awards
- Department of Nanoengineering Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring, NC A&T (2026)
- Outstanding Young Investigator Award, NC A&T (2025)
- Department of Nanoengineering Award for Excellence in Research, NC A&T (2023, 2025)
- Featured Cover Page, Advanced Materials Interfaces (2025)
- Top 10% Most-Viewed Papers of 2023, 2024 Advanced Functional Materials
- NC TraCS KL2 Scholar (Fellow, 2020–2023)
Classes Taught
NANO 882 – Advanced Biomedical Nanomaterials
NANO 782 – Techniques in Synthetic Biology
NANO 703 – Principles of Nanoengineering: Chemical-Biochemical Principles
Scholarly & Professional Keywords
Nanoengineering; biosensors; surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS); extracellular vesicles; biomaterials; nanomedicine; biomedical engineering; synthetic biology