Diffuse midline glioma is a 100% fatal brain tumor that affects children 2-10 years old and here you can see this invasion in action: as the glioma cells reach out to take over the blood vessels and to connect with each other. 

My research aims to develop an organ-on-a-chip microfluidic platform that models the blood-brain-barrier (i.e. the blood vessels of the brain) in the presence of a childhood brain tumor to use to screen various new drug and nanoparticle formulations.

This image captures a successful prototype of the device that I can use to advance nanotechnology that can help treat this devastating disease.