Bahareh Mirmashhouri

My name is Bahareh Mirmashhouri, and I hold a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. During my Ph.D. I have experienced working with nanocellulose, a green and natural nanocomposite, and have been focused on its synthesis and modification to create nanomaterials with various applications. Notably, I have investigated the potential of nanocellulose-based nanoparticles as drug delivery systems with anticancer properties and as photocatalysts for the removal of environmental pollutants. 
Nanocellulose composites offer several advantages, including improved mechanical properties, lightweight nature, renewability, biodegradability, and excellent barrier properties. These properties make them suitable for diverse applications in industries like packaging, automotive, construction, electronics, textiles, biomedical engineering, and energy storage. 
During my MSc, I worked with epoxides and their ring-opening reactions have centered on solvent-free conditions, focusing on the regioselective ring opening of epoxides using solid LiClO4 as a catalyst. This approach is aimed at controlling environmental pollution, simplifying syntheses, and minimizing the use of ecologically harmful organic solvents. 
Epoxides and their ring-opening reactions play a significant role in synthesizing biomaterials and medical applications. They can be utilized to create biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, hydrogels for wound healing and drug delivery, and for surface modification of biomaterials, among other applications. 
The proposed continuation of work involves using novel nanocellulose derivatives and applying ring openings of epoxides in drug delivery applications and biomaterial innovations. 
I have acquired analytical skills through courses in drug design and Python, which will be valuable for drug design and synthesis. I am currently working with the Terasaki Institute of Biomedical Innovation, focusing on projects related to hydrogels, internal adhesives, and tissue engineering. 
My expertise in advanced spectroscopy techniques such as NMR, FTIR, TGA, UV, SEM,.. enables the identification of materials suitable for various industrial and pharmaceutical applications. 
Overall, I seek to advance the development of new and efficient nanocomposites for crucial organic synthesis, drug delivery, and bio-innovation applications.