Obdulia Covarrubias, PhD

Professional Background

Dr. Covarrubias earned a B.Sc in Biochemistry and Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from Kansas State University, in Manhattan Kansas. Dr. Covarrubias was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship during her first year as a graduate student, and this fellowship provided funding for the last 3 years of her Ph.D. studies. Dr. Covarrubias joined Dr. Bossmann’s lab at the University of Kansas as a postdoctoral fellow in 2021, and she assisted with the lab relocation and startup. Dr. Covarrubias also serves as the Technical Director of Small Animal Imaging at KUMC.

Research

Overview

The overall goal of our research is to develop novel nanotechnology for early detection of cancer and treatments. Nanobiosensors were developed for protease activity measurements that serve as cancer biomarkers for an early detection of solid tumor (pancreatic, lung, and triple negative breast cancer) by means of liquid biopsies (serum samples). Also, polymer based nanocarriers and peptide based nanosponges have been developed for genetic information and small molecules/drug delivery.