.jpg "Afia Ibnat Kohon photo")
Research Assistant
University of North Texas
Afia Ibnat Kohon is a PhD student in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of North Texas. She is also serving as a graduate research assistant within the same department. Her research interests encompass a wide array of topics, including nanoparticle delivery, therapeutics, cell mechanics, cell communication, DNA programmability, photolithography, 3D cell printing. Her primary research is centered on understanding the mechanics of cells, their effect on nanoparticle targeting, and the emulation of biological mechanical conditions for in vitro study into nanotherapeutic delivery. She is currently focusing on the effects of dynamic forces and stiffness changes observed in lung cancer and fibrosis, on cellular activities and nanoparticle uptake. In addition, she is also exploring the stiffness modulated changes in cancer cell behavior including uptake pathways and gene knockdown to leverage them in nanoparticle designs for targeted delivery. Afia holds a bachelor’s degree in materials and metallurgical engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.