Li Han

Li Han is currently a Research Chemist in RTI International’s Discovery-Science-Technology unit. In this capacity, she fabricates and characterizes nanostructured materials, including metal- and carbon-based materials, composite electrospun polymer nanofibers, and polymeric nanoparticles, and explores the sensor, biomedical scaffolding, catalysis, and drug delivery applications of these materials. She also characterizes engineered nanostructured materials in solid-state forms and dosing formulations for toxicological studies. Dr. Han serves as a Principal Investigator and Project Manager on a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)-funded project to develop garment-based, agent-detecting sensors. She serves as a key analyst and Task Leader for microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of the carbon-based nanostructure material and metal oxide nanomaterials involved in a National Toxicology Program (NTP) contract. Additionally, she serves as Co-Investigator for the characterization core of a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) consortium grant to study C60 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their influences on cardiovascular, reproductive, and developmental processes.

Dr. Han has more than 15 years of specialized research and development (R&D) experience in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Her original research findings on nanotechnology have been published in more than 40 peer-reviewed journals, four U.S. patents, five patent applications, and several institute invention disclosures. She has also given many presentations at conferences. Her research interests include fabricating novel nanoscale materials and developing microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques for nanoparticles and nanofibers. She is also interested in researching the application of nanoscale materials in chemo- and biosensors, drug delivery, catalysis, biomedical devices, and nanomaterial characterization to support toxicological studies.