Januka Budhathoki Uprety

Januka Budhathoki-Uprety is a polymer chemist with an interest in developing novel materials for applications in cutting-edge technologies. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biology, Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, and Ph.D. in Chemistry. Her Ph.D. research under the supervision of Professor Bruce Novak at North Carolina State University was focused on the design and synthesis of helical polycarbodiimide polymers. She completed her postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, with her research focused in biomedical sciences developing bio-nanomaterials for disease diagnosis and therapy.

Dr. Budhathoki-Uprety is the recipient of the MSK Society Scholar Prize (2018), Tow Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2018), ACS Graduate Student Travel Award (2011), Academic Excellence for Teaching Award, Kathmandu Model College (2003-2005).

Research

Polymers and nanomaterials offer a wide range of capabilities in modern technologies in everyday life such as in healthcare, safety and comfort. Research in the Budhathoki-Uprety lab encompasses at the interface between chemistry, biology and material science utilizing the principles of organic and polymer synthesis, chemical biology, and nanotechnology. Her research team focuses on developing novel polymers, macromolecules, and nanomaterials, and their applications in biomedical field and environment in collaborative approach.

Specific research areas include:

• Rational Polymer Design and Synthesis
• Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine
• Bio-sensors Development and Applications
• Smart Biomedical Textiles

Academic Degrees

• Postdoctoral Fellow , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,
• Ph.D. Chemistry, North Carolina State University,
• M.S. Chemistry, Western Carolina University,
• M.Sc Organic Chemistry, Tribhuvan University,
• B.Sc Chemistry and Biology, Tribhuvan University,

Publications

Synthetic molecular recognition nanosensor paint for microalbuminuria

Budhathoki-Uprety, J., Shah, J., Korsen, J. A., Wayne, A. E., Galassi, T. V., Cohen, J. R., … Heller, D. A. (2019), NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11583-1

Quantitative self-assembly prediction yields targeted nanomedicines

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2018), Nature Materials. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-017-0007-z

The secondary structures of PEG-functionalized random copolymers derived from (R)- and (S)- families of alkyne polycarbodiimides

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2018), Polymer Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8py00282g

A Carbon Nanotube Optical Reporter Maps Endolysosomal Lipid Flux

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2017), ACS Nano. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.7b04743

A Carbon Nanotube Optical Sensor Reports Nuclear Entry via a Noncanonical Pathway

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2017), ACS Nano. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.7b00176

Control of Carbon Nanotube Solvatochromic Response to Chemotherapeutic Agents

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2017), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b12015

Polymer cloaking modulates the carbon nanotube protein corona and delivery into cancer cells

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2017), J. Mater. Chem. B. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7tb00695k

Helical Polycarbodiimide Cloaking of Carbon Nanotubes Enables Inter-Nanotube Exciton Energy Transfer Modulation

Budhathoki-Uprety, J. (2014), Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja505529n

Determining the Regioregularity in Alkyne Polycarbodiimides and Their Orthogonal Modification of Side Chains To Yield Perfectly Alternating Functional Polymers

Budhathoki-Uprety, J., Reuther, J. F., & Novak, B. M. (2012), Macromolecules, 45(20), 8155–8165. https://doi.org/10.1021/ma301639m

Synthesis of Guanidinium Functionalized Polycarbodiimides and Their Antibacterial Activities

Budhathoki-Uprety, J., Peng, L., Melander, C., & Novak, B. M. (2012), ACS Macro Letters, 1(3), 370–374. https://doi.org/10.1021/mz200116k

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Organizations

• American Chemical Society
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Electrochemical Society
• Nepal Chemical Society
• Materials Research Society