Biographical Sketch

Carlos M. Rinaldi-Ramos is the Chair and Dean’s Leadership Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida. He is also a Professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering. He received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, and completed degrees in Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, Master of Science in Chemical Engineering Practice, and Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to the University of Florida, Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos was a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos is a leading scientist in the areas of ferrohydrodynamics, biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles, and transport of nanoparticles in complex and biological fluids. His research spans theory and simulation of magnetic nanoparticle response to dynamic magnetic fields, nanoparticle synthesis and surface modification, and characterization of nanoparticle interactions with biological environments. In the field of ferrohydrodynamics, Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos has made fundamental contributions to understanding of suspension-scale flows of ferrofluids in time-varying and rotating magnetic fields. Through a combination of theoretical and experimental work, his group demonstrated that description of ferrofluid flows in rotating magnetic fields requires consideration of internal angular momentum transport through the so-called couple stress and spin viscosity, unique features in the description of flows of structured continua. In the field of nanomedicine, Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos has made outstanding contributions to harnessing localized nanoscale heating for magnetic nanoparticle thermal cancer therapy. His group was the first to demonstrate that receptor-targeted nanoparticles can kill cancer cells without a perceptible macroscopic temperature rise through disruption of lysosomes and activation of lysosomal death pathways. He has also contributed to understanding the synergistic interactions of nanoscale thermal therapy and traditional chemotherapeutics. Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos has pioneered development and application of new methods to evaluate nanoparticle stability and diffusion in complex and biological fluids. Based on non-invasive monitoring of nanoparticle response to oscillating magnetic fields, these methods permit quantitative measurements of nanoparticle aggregation state, hydrodynamic size, and diffusion in complex environments such as polymer melts, polymer solutions, highly-concentrated protein solutions, whole blood, and tissues. More recently, Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos has contributed to understanding the physics of magnetic nanoparticle response to alternating magnetic fields, enabling rational design of high-sensitivity and high-resolution tracers for magnetic particle imaging, an emerging biomedical imaging technology. Dr. Rinaldi-Ramos is committed to mentoring new generations of scientists and engineers seeking solutions to biomedical problems and to broadening participation of women and minorities in science and engineering.

Note that for the majority of my research career I have gone by the name Carlos Rinaldi, to learn why I now use my full name go here.

Honors & Awards (Selected)

• College of Fellows, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2020
• James Y. Oldshue Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineering and Interamerican Confederation of Chemical Engineers, 2019
• Kavli Fellow and Invited introductory speaker, 28^th Annual Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium, 2016
• Charles A. Stokes Term Professorship, University of Florida, 2015-2018.
• Indo-American Frontiers of Engineering Fellow, organized by the National Academies of Engineering, 2014
• International Journal of Nanomedicine Early Career Award, 2012.
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) 2006.
• National Science Foundation Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (CAREER Award), 2006
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow 1998-2001

Professional Activities (Selected)

• Access Editor, Chemical Engineering Education, 2018 – present.
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Rheology, 2012 – present.
• Member, Diversity Committee, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2015 – 2018.
• Associate Editor, International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013 – 2018.
• Member, NIST Center for Neutron Research Beam Time Allocation Committee, 2015 – 2017.

Contributions to Science

publications