University of California-Davis · Biomedical EngineeringAdvanced Drug Delivery and Nanoplastics Laboratory
Randy Carney · Davis, California
Research Focus
Dr. Randy Carney's lab at UC Davis focuses on creating advanced drug delivery systems using engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) and studying the environmental and health impacts of nanoplastics. His team aims to improve how drugs can effectively reach the brain while reducing side effects and investigating how polluted nanoplastics can harm health by entering the brain after inhalation. This research combines engineering with biology to find solutions to significant health and environmental challenges.
extracellular vesiclesdrug deliverybrain targetingnanoplasticsbiodistributiontoxicologylabel-free imagingneurotoxicityblood-brain barrierbiomedical engineering
Research Aims
5AIM 01Engineer a targeted biological nanoparticle platform for drug delivery to the brain.
AIM 02Optimize methods for detecting pollutant-adsorbed nanoplastics in environmental samples.
AIM 03Investigate how nanoplastics and pollutants affect brain tissue and health.
AIM 04Elucidate the mechanisms by which pollutants combined with nanoplastics cross the blood-brain barrier.
AIM 05Assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety of engineered drug delivery systems in preclinical models.
Skills the Lab Values
extracellular vesicle engineeringliposome formulationadvanced imaging techniquesmass spectrometrymolecular biology techniquesanimal modelingbiochemical assaysdata analysis using Pythontranscriptomicsresearch design
Output against the department
Publications123bottom 25% of dept.445th of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations8.1ktop 43% of dept.253rd of 595
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.