معرفی
Sandy Wheeler is a Senior Research Associate and Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Furman University since 1992. She earned her Ph.D. and B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. Her roles have expanded from Adjunct Professor to Instrumentation Specialist, supporting NIH-funded biomedical research via shared instrumentation maintenance and method development. She currently co-supervises 12+ undergraduate researchers annually with her husband, John Wheeler (Associate Provost for Integrative Science).
- Education: Ph.D. and B.S. in Chemistry, University of Cincinnati
Research focuses on applying high-performance analytical techniques to clinical, environmental, and forensic problems. Key areas include antioxidant mechanisms (sulfur/selenium compounds against DNA damage), Cr(III) complexes for photodynamic therapy, and biocide formulation analysis for contact lens solutions in collaboration with the FDA. Technical expertise spans mass spectrometry, microcalorimetry, and biochemical methods.
Her work has been supported by NIH grants, including the 2015 NIH award enabling her current role. Over 120 students have been mentored in her research program, emphasizing instrumentation training and collaborative interdisciplinary research.
- Grants: NIH-INBRE (2005), NIH award (2015)
Labs/teams: Active collaborations with Clemson University (Julia Brumaghim) and FDA (Silver Spring, MD). Contributions include novel strategies for analyzing commercial biocide efficacy and DNA interaction studies with transition metal complexes.
