Appointments
Michael J. Sailor is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with Affiliate appointments in the Department of Bioengineering and in the Department of Nanoengineering. He is on the executive steering committee of the Materials Science Ph. D. program and a member of the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD.
Biography
Professor Sailor received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA, 1983), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from Northwestern University (Chicago, 1988). His Ph.D. thesis work involved the synthesis of organometallic metal clusters, in the laboratory of professor Duward Shriver. He performed post-doctoral studies under Nathan S. Lewis at Stanford and at Caltech (1987-1990). He joined the faculty at the UCSD Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1990, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994, and to Full Professor in 1996.
Research Interests
Professor Sailor's research focuses on the synthesis and study of nanophase materials with unusual optical, magnetic, or electronic properties, with emphasis on silicon-based systems. Current projects are directed at problems in nanoparticle-based diagnosis and treatment of disease, remote sensing of toxins and pollutants, high-throughput screening of biomarkers, point detectors for chemical or biological warfare agents, and microfluidic technologies. Click (here) for descriptions of ongoing projects.
He is the author of over 150 research publications, in subjects related to nanotechnology, materials chemistry, sensors, and electrochemistry. He has 28 patents or patents pending, 21 of which have been licensed to established or startup-stage companies. He has supervised over 120 undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral research students.
Accomplishments and Awards
Professor Sailor is widely regarded as one of the leading global authorities on porous silicon. He invented the porous silicon-based interferometric sensor, which is now sold commercially (Silicon Kinetics, inc.) and has spawned a major worldwide chemical and biological sensor research effort; he developed the multifunctional nanostructured photonic crystal particles now commonly referred to as “Smart Dust” and sold commercally under the tradename "TruTags"; he invented the RIFTS (Reflective Interferometric Fourier Transform Spectroscopy) techninque; and he invented the method to prepare nanoparticles of porous silicon, reporting the first in vivo application of these silicon-based quantum dots in a demonstration of their utility as tumor imaging agents. He has been involved as a scientific advisor or as a founder in the startup of Illumina, inc. (ILMN), Protein Discovery, inc., Spinnaker Biosciences, Vesta Nanotechnologies, and Common Sensor Technologies, inc. He has won two “Best of What’s New” awards from Popular Science magazine.
| 2011 |
"Best of Green: Science and Technology Award" from Treehugger |
| 2008 |
J. Clarence Karcher Medal, University of Oklahoma |
| 2007 |
"Proggy" Award |
| 2006 |
"Bronze Phantom Award" recipient from the Boeing Company Phantom Works division |
| 2004 |
Outstanding Faculty Mentor in the Sciences and Engineering, UC San Diego Faculty Mentor Program |
| 2004 |
Lipscomb Lecturer, University of South Carolina |
| 2003 |
63rd "Frontiers in Chemistry" Distinguished Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University |
| 2003 |
National Inventors Hall of Fame "Collegiate Inventors Competition," Grand Prize, shared with graduate student Jamie R. Link |
| 2002 |
Max T. Rogers Distinguished Lecturer, Michigan State University |
| 2002 |
Popular Science Magazine The Best of Whats New general technology award winner |
| 1999 |
Architecture® Magazine Annual Award for Architectural Research, shared with Professor Steve Lombardi |
| 1995 |
University of California Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research |
| 1994-95 |
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow |
| 1994-95 |
Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Award |
| 1993-98 |
National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award |
| 1993-94 |
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award |
| 1983 |
ARCO Fellow, Northwestern University |
Service and Activities
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| 2011-present |
Editorial Advisory Board, Advanced Healthcare Materials |
| 2007-present |
Editorial Advisory Board, Analytical Chemistry |
| 2006-present |
Scientific Organizer, Porous Semiconductors Science and Technology (PSST) International Meeting |
| 2006-present |
United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board |
| 2006-present |
External Advisory Board, Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences |
| 2005-2010 |
Executive Committee, University of California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program |
| 2005-present |
Editorial Advisory Board, JCS Chemical Communications |
| 2004-present |
Member, Sensor Division Executive Committee, The Electrochemical Society, inc. |
| 2004-2005 |
Scientific Advisory Board, Iatroquest, inc. |
| 2003-2009 |
Scientific Advisory Board, Protein Discovery, inc. |
| 2003-present |
Advisory Board, NanoBioNexus |
| 2002-2010 |
Editorial board, Nanotechnology Newsletter |
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Scientific Advisory Board, Qgenics, inc. |
| 2002 |
Organizing committee, "Challenges for the Chemical Sciences in the 21st Century: Homeland Defense and National Security." Workshop Sponsored by the National Research Council. |
| 2001-present |
Scientific advisory board, ScienCentral, inc. |
| 2001 |
Member, Technical Advisory Panel, Chemical and Biological Agent Resistance Test (CBART) Working Group |
| 2000 |
Organizer, Army Workshop on CBW Agent Water Monitors |
| 2000 |
Participant, COSEPUP focus group on Department of Defense (DOD) adherence to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) |
| 1999-2000 |
DOD TARA review panelist, Chemical and Biological Warfare defense |
| 1997-1999 |
DSSG (Defense Sciences Study Group) |
| 1993-present |
Editorial Board of Advanced Materials |
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