Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer/Oral Oncology Program

James F. Rusling, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry, UConn, Storrs campus

Professor of Cell Biology, UConn Health Center

Dr. Rusling currently serves as the Head of the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Chemistry Department. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1979 at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and has been a faculty member at UConn ever since.

Dr. Rusling has nearly 20 years of research experience in development of bioanalytical devices and fundamental protein redox chemistry. A significant portion of his research over the past decade has focused on development of ultrasensitive, nanomaterials-based sensors for cancer biomarker proteins. He is currently focusing on methods to detect and monitor oral cancer and is the lead investigator of two multi-investigator NIH-supported projects: one involving protein immunosensor arrays for cancer detection and monitoring and new toxicity screening sensor arrays. He also heads an NSF-supported collaborative project on fundamental thin film electrochemistry of photosynthetic proteins.

Dr, Rusling is also involved in a nanoscience-based oral cancer drug deliver project in collaboration with oral cancer biologists at NIH (NIDCR). He has 35 years of experience in bioanalytical technology, and over 20 years of experience managing multi-investigator research projects. He has experience in biostatistics, and co-authored a book in 1996 on modeling and statistical analysis of biochemical data.

Appointments

• 2009-present: National University of Ireland at Galway, Adjunct Professor
• 2008-2009: National University of Ireland at Galway, Visiting Professor and SFI Walton Fellow
• 2007-present: University of Connecticut Health Center, Professor of Cell Biology
• 2001-2006: University of Connecticut Health Center, Professor of Pharmacology
• 2001: Dublin City University, National Centre for Sensor Research, Ireland, Visiting Professor
• 1990-present: University of Connecticut, Professor of Chemistry
• 1990-present: University of Connecticut, Head, Analytical Chemistry Division, Chemistry Department
• 1981-present: University of Connecticut, Member, Institute of Materials Science

Honors and Awards

• 2009: Award in Electroanalytical Chemistry, American Chemical Society, Analytical Division
• 2009: University of Connecticut CLAS Research Excellence Award
• 2008-2009: Walton Research Fellowship, Science Foundation Ireland
• 2005-present: Fellow of Int. Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
• 2005-2007: Chairman, Organic & Biological Electrochemistry Division, Electrochemical Society
• 2004-present: Fellow of the Electrochemical Society
• 2003: University of Connecticut Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award
• 2002-2008: American Editor, Electrochemistry Communications
• 1997-2001: IUPAC Commission on Electrochemistry, Member
• 1997: University of Connecticut AAUP Research Excellence Award
• 1996: Drexel University Distinguished Alumni Award

Selected Publications
Sang-Nyon Kim, James F. Rusling, Fotios Papadimitrakopolous, Carbon Nanotubes in Electronic and Electrochemical Detection of Biomolecules (review), Advanced Materials. 2007, 19, 3214-3228.

Xin Yu, Bernard Munge, Vyomesh Patel, Gary Jensen, Ashwin Bhirde, Joseph D. Gong, Sang-Nyon Kim, John Gillespie, J. Silvio Gutkind, Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos and James F. Rusling, Carbon Nanotube Amplification Strategies for Highly Sensitive Immunosensing of Cancer Biomarkers in Serum and Tissue, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 11199-11205.

Bhaskara V. Chikkaveeraiah, Hongyun Liu, Vigneshwaran Mani, Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos and James F. Rusling, A microfluidic electrochemical device for high sensitivity biosensing. Detection of nanomolar hydrogen peroxide, Electrochem. Comm. 2009, 11, 819-822.

Bernard S. Munge, Colleen E. Krause, Ruchika Malhotra, Vyomesh Patel, J. Silvio Gutkind, and James F. Rusling, Electrochemical Immunosensors for Interleukin-6. Comparison of Carbon Nanotube Forest and Gold Nanoparticle platforms, Electrochem. Comm., 2009, 11, 1009–1012.

James F. Rusling, Gregory Sotzing, and Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, Designing nanomaterials-enhanced electrochemical immunosensors for cancer biomarker proteins, Bioelectrochemistry, 2009, 76, 189-194.

James F. Rusling, Xin Yu, Bernard S. Munge, Sang N. Kim, and Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Forests in Biosensors, Chapter in J. Davis Ed. Engineering the Bioelectronic Interface, Royal Soc. Chem., UK, 2009, pp. 94-118 (ISBN: 9780854041657).

Naimish Sardesai, Shenmin Pan and James F. Rusling, Electrochemiluminescent immunosensor for detection of protein cancer biomarkers using carbon nanotube forests and [Ru-(bpy)3]2+-doped silica nanoparticles, Chem. Communications, 2009, 4968-4970.

Sadagopan Krishnan, Amila Abeykoon, John B. Schenkman, and James F. Rusling, Control of Electrochemical and Ferryloxy Formation Kinetics of Cyt P450s in Polyion Films by Heme Iron Spin State and Secondary Structure, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 16215–16224.

Vigneshwaran Mani, Bhaskara V. Chikkaveeraiah, Vyomesh Patel, J. Silvio Gutkind, and James F. Rusling, Ultrasensitive Immunosensor for Cancer Biomarker Proteins using Gold Nanoparticle Film Electrodes and Multienzyme-Particle Amplification. ACSNano, 2009, 3, 585–594.

Bhaskara V. Chikkaveeraih, Ashwin Bhirde, Ruchika Malhotra, Vyomesh Patel, J. Silvio Gutkind, and James F. Rusling, Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Forest Immunoarrays For electrochemical measurement of Four Protein Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer, Analytical Chem., 2009, 81, 9129–9134.

Bernard S. Munge, Jacqueline Fisher, Lines N. Millord, Colleen E. Krause, Richard S. Dowd, James F. Rusling, Sensitive Electrochemical Immunosensor for Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 based on Single-wall Carbon Nanotubes, Analyst, 2010, 135, 1345–1350.

Ruchika Malhotra, Vyomesh Patel, Jose Pedro Vaqué, J. Silvio Gütkind, and James F. Rusling, Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Immunosensor for IL-6 in Squamous Cancer Cells using Carbon Nanotubes and Multi-label Amplification. Analytical Chem., 2010, 82, 3118–3123.

James F. Rusling Challa V. Kumar, J. Silvio Gutkind, and Vyomesh Patel. Measurement of Biomarker Proteins for Point-of-Care Early Detection and Monitoring of Cancer (Review), Analyst, 2010, in press, DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00204F.

Ashwin A. Bhirde, Vyomesh Patel, Julie Gavard, Guofeng Zhang, Alioscka A. Sousa, Andrius Masedunskas, R. D. Leapman, R. Weigert, J. S. Gutkind, James F. Rusling, Selective Targeting of Squamous Cell Cancer using EGF-Directed Carbon Nanotube-based Drug Delivery, ACSNano, 2009, 3, 307-316.

Ashwin A. Bhirde, Alioscka A. Sousa, Vyomesh Patel, J. Silvio Gutkind, Richard D. Leapman and James F. Rusling, Single-molecule imaging and quantitation of a platinum-based drug attached to carbon nanotubes, Nanomedicine, 2009, 4, 763-772.

View more publications, see Pubmed listing.