I am a materials scientist operating at the dynamic interface between materials engineering, biology, and medicine. My work is driven by a central philosophy: that we can program the therapeutic function of a material by precisely engineering its structure and kinetic behavior from the nanoscale up.
My foundational research established the "Kinetic Blueprint" for bioactive glass-ceramics. Through this, I demonstrated that by controlling a material's synthesis, we can pre-determine its entire therapeutic lifecycle, from ion exchange rates and pH modulation to its ultimate biomineralization in a physiological environment. This work, leveraging scalable techniques like spray pyrolysis, proved that we can move beyond designing static materials and begin creating systems with predictable, time-dependent biological responses.
My current research extends this "4D" approach, adding the dimension of programmed time to 3D spatial control, to address one of oncology's most significant challenges: multi-drug resistance (MDR) in aggressive cancers like osteosarcoma. I am pioneering a new class of multi-stage nanoplatforms designed to execute a sequential, "prime-and-strike" attack. These intelligent systems first home to the bone tumor, then release a drug to disable the cancer's resistance mechanisms, and finally, upon an external trigger, unleash a potent chemo-photothermal strike to eradicate the now-sensitized cells. This strategy relies on the synergistic integration of biodegradable photothermal cores (like Black Porous Silicon), advanced surface chemistry for targeting, and multi-stimuli gating mechanisms for sequential drug release.
Ultimately, my vision is to lead an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to creating the next generation of smart, programmable nanomedicines. By translating fundamental insights from materials science into effective therapeutic strategies, I aim to develop technologies that provide new hope for patients with hard-to-treat diseases. I am always open to new collaborations and discussions at the forefront of biomaterials and nanomedicine.
Research Interests
ySequential Bio-Instruction & 4D Biomaterials
Programmable Bio-interfaces for Tissue Engineering
Controlled Ion Release for Therapeutic Applications
Structure-Property-Function Relationships in Biomaterials
Advanced Synthesis of Bioactive Glasses & Ceramics
RESEARCH-activities
Featured Project: Programmable Nanomedicine for Resistant Cancers The 4D nanoparticle for nanomedicine Description: My work focuses on developing spatio-temporally controlled nanotherapeutics to overcome multi-drug resistance in osteosarcoma. This '4D' platform integrates bone-homing ligands, a biodegradable photothermal core, and a dual-stimuli release system. This sequential 'prime-and-strike' strategy is designed to re-sensitize resistant tumors to chemotherapy, offering a new paradigm for treating recurrent cancers.
Foundational Project: The Kinetic Blueprint for Bioactive Ceramics Temporal evolution of the interfacial structure at 700 °C (top) and 1100 °C (bottom) over 3, 7, and 21 days. The wollastonite-enriched surface at 1100 °C promotes accelerated and enhanced formation of the hydroxyapatite (HA) layer
Description: Established a predictive framework, the 'Kinetic Blueprint,' for designing bioactive materials with pre-programmed in vitro behavior. By systematically mapping the relationship between thermal processing, phase composition, and surface kinetics, I developed methods to precisely control apatite formation and degradation profiles. This research provides a robust methodology for creating highly consistent and predictable biomaterials for bone regeneration applications.
EXPERTISE & SKILLS
Nanomaterial Synthesis & Formulation
Black Porous Silicon (BPSi) Synthesis & Functionalization
Spray Pyrolysis for Nanoparticle & Thin-Film Fabrication
Drug Loading & Stimuli-Responsive Release Systems (pH, NIR-light)
Advanced Characterization
Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), TGA
Cytotoxicity, Apoptosis, and Cell Viability Assays (MTT, Flow Cytometry)
In Vitro Bioactivity & Biomineralization Studies (SBF)
Preclinical Methods
Orthotopic & Subcutaneous Tumor Models
Biodistribution & Pharmacokinetic Studies
Advanced Preclinical Imaging (PET/MRI, µCT)
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Workie, A.B., Shih S-J. "A comprehensive review on the spray pyrolysis technique..." Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 170 (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2023.105915
Workie, A.B., et al. "An Investigation of In Vitro Bioactivities and Cytotoxicities of Spray Pyrolyzed Apatite Wollastonite Glass-Ceramics." Crystals 13.7 (2023).Doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13071049
Workie, A.B., et al. "Mesoporous bioactive glasses: synthesis, characterization, and their medical applications." Surface Review and Letters 30.04 (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218625X23300046
Workie, A.B., et al. "A study of bioactive glass-ceramic's mechanical properties, apatite formation, and medical applications." RSC Advances 12.36 (2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA03235J
Preprints
Workie, A.B., Shih S-J. "A Kinetic Blueprint for Bioactive Ceramics: Programming the Bio-interface through Thermal Processing." ChemRxiv (2025). DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-5xw28-v2
Workie, A.B., Shih S-J. "A Quantitative Phase-Temperature Map for Spray-Pyrolyzed AWGCs: A Predictive Tool for Bioceramic Design." ChemRxiv (2025). DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-tlgns
