I am a Ph.D. candidate and Research Assistant in the Department of Materials Science and Nano-Engineering at Rice University, working under the advisorship of Dr. Pulickel M. Ajayan and Dr. Ghanashyam Acharya in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine. My research resides at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering, with a primary focus on translational surgical innovation, advanced drug delivery systems, and regenerative engineering.
Currently, my doctoral work involves the precision engineering of therapeutic biomaterials, including the development of thromboresistant small-diameter synthetic vascular grafts, the fabrication of 3D-printed adhesive patches to prevent anastomotic leaks, the bio-assessment of up-conversion quantum dots for retinal enhancement, and the development of nanowafers for ocular drug delivery within the precision-engineered Ocumem platform. My expertise spans advanced microscopy and spectroscopy, 3D bioprinting, and established in-vivo models for evaluating wound healing and corneal scarring.
Prior to my Ph.D. studies, I served as a Project Scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, developing bio-polymeric film coatings and biodegradable aerogels. I hold a Master's in Nanoscience and Technology Engineering and a Bachelor's in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Publications
Synthesis of Ultrastable Perovskite Quantum Dots and Systematically Probing their Biocompatibility.
Nitisha Mehrotra, et al., ACS Applied Nano Materials (2025). https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsanm.5c04444
Local Delivery of Non-opioid Analgesic Microparticles to Modulate Post-Surgical Pain.
Nitisha Mehrotra, et al., Pharmaceutical Research (2025). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40903542/
Aerogel based biodegradable acoustic foams of Kombucha bacterial cellulose.
Nitisha Mehrotra, et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science (2024). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/app.55881
Removal of heavy metal ions (Pb 2+, Cu 2+, Cr 3+ and Cd 2+) from multimetal simulated wastewater using APTES grafted agar porous cryogel.
Nitisha Mehrotra, et al., International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2024). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39447797/
Development of activated carbon from KOH activation of pre-carbonized chickpea peel residue and its performance for removal of synthetic dye from drinking water.
Nitisha Mehrotra, et al., Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (2021). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13399-021-01938-4