Art of Science: The End of Side Effects: Nanocapsules for Precision Medicine
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In this science outreach series, scientists present different scientific topics to the general public in a laid-back atmosphere in an art gallery.
Please mark your calendar for the last event of fall 2026:
12/10/26 - Cell biology
More information will be given closer to each event.
The November 2026 event:
The End of Side Effects: Nanocapsules for Precision Medicine
Presented by Mr. Vishnu Dharmaraj
University of Chicago
Introduction to the art at Parlour & Ramp Gallery by Ms. Frances (Fran) Lightbound
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Presentation abstract and presenter bio are below.
PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.
Exciting science, art and socializing.
Donation bar.
Vegan snacks.
Events are always free and open to all, so feel free to invite others.
Hope to see you there!
Parlour & Ramp Gallery is at 2130 W. 21st St.
Easily accessible by the pink line (Damen stop) and the Damen Ave. (#50) bus. Some street parking available.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100025530925368.
If you are not already a member, you are invited to join the Art of Science group and be invited to future events.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/
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The End of Side Effects: Nanocapsules for Precision Medicine
Have you ever wondered why soap cleans your hands, or why oil and water refuse to mix? The answer is that tiny molecules can arrange, or self-assemble, themselves into useful shapes all on their own, sort of like tiny magnets that align themselves. Molecular self-assembly is responsible for so many things we take for granted, even the structure of the cells in our body, and Vishnu Dharmaraj’s job is to leverage it to make better medicine.
Many medicines, most infamously chemotherapy, cause side effects because in addition to attacking diseased tissue, they also damage healthy tissue. Vishnu Dharmaraj is working to fix that by designing capsules thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, built to deliver medicine only to the diseased cells that need to be killed off. Leveraging what we know about how molecules self-assemble, he creates capsule ingredients that wrap around a medicine on their own, just by mixing. To watch this happen, he uses sensitive heat monitors and beams of light to see how the capsules form and whether they stay intact.
From this work, Vishnu Dharmaraj developed rules for making capsules that deliver different medicines to diseased parts of the body. He has shown how self-assembling capsules can be designed to treat heart disease, and the same rules could be used to treat other illnesses, including cancer, demonstrating the power of self-assembly in creating smarter, safer medicines.
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Mr. Vishnu Dharmaraj
------------------------
Vishnu Dharmaraj is a PhD student at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, where he uses physics to design smarter, more effective medicine for diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC, Vishnu studied chemical engineering at UC Berkeley and MIT, and worked in the biotech industry for a couple of years before starting his PhD.
Outside of the lab, he loves singing, playing all kinds of sports and board games, and cooking. He is also passionate about sharing science with the public, having organized science fairs and community events on behalf of University of Chicago, and loves any chance to share his own research with new audiences.
Ms. Frances (Fran) Lightbound
---------------------------------
Frances Lightbound is an interdisciplinary artist based in Chicago, working between printmaking, sculpture and installation to address the materiality of built space, and relationships between time, bodies and buildings. She is a lecturer in Printmedia at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues in the US and Europe, with recent solo exhibitions at Rule Gallery (Marfa TX), Bird Show (Chicago), and the John David Mooney Foundation (Chicago). Lightbound was awarded a Luminarts Visual Arts Fellowship in 2017.
Originally from Sheffield, England, she received an MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA (Hons) from Glasgow School of Art, Scotland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Vishnu Dharmaraj
Please mark your calendar for the last event of fall 2026:
12/10/26 - Cell biology
More information will be given closer to each event.
The November 2026 event:
The End of Side Effects: Nanocapsules for Precision Medicine
Presented by Mr. Vishnu Dharmaraj
University of Chicago
Introduction to the art at Parlour & Ramp Gallery by Ms. Frances (Fran) Lightbound
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Presentation abstract and presenter bio are below.
PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.
Exciting science, art and socializing.
Donation bar.
Vegan snacks.
Events are always free and open to all, so feel free to invite others.
Hope to see you there!
Parlour & Ramp Gallery is at 2130 W. 21st St.
Easily accessible by the pink line (Damen stop) and the Damen Ave. (#50) bus. Some street parking available.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100025530925368.
If you are not already a member, you are invited to join the Art of Science group and be invited to future events.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End of Side Effects: Nanocapsules for Precision Medicine
Have you ever wondered why soap cleans your hands, or why oil and water refuse to mix? The answer is that tiny molecules can arrange, or self-assemble, themselves into useful shapes all on their own, sort of like tiny magnets that align themselves. Molecular self-assembly is responsible for so many things we take for granted, even the structure of the cells in our body, and Vishnu Dharmaraj’s job is to leverage it to make better medicine.
Many medicines, most infamously chemotherapy, cause side effects because in addition to attacking diseased tissue, they also damage healthy tissue. Vishnu Dharmaraj is working to fix that by designing capsules thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, built to deliver medicine only to the diseased cells that need to be killed off. Leveraging what we know about how molecules self-assemble, he creates capsule ingredients that wrap around a medicine on their own, just by mixing. To watch this happen, he uses sensitive heat monitors and beams of light to see how the capsules form and whether they stay intact.
From this work, Vishnu Dharmaraj developed rules for making capsules that deliver different medicines to diseased parts of the body. He has shown how self-assembling capsules can be designed to treat heart disease, and the same rules could be used to treat other illnesses, including cancer, demonstrating the power of self-assembly in creating smarter, safer medicines.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mr. Vishnu Dharmaraj
------------------------
Vishnu Dharmaraj is a PhD student at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, where he uses physics to design smarter, more effective medicine for diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC, Vishnu studied chemical engineering at UC Berkeley and MIT, and worked in the biotech industry for a couple of years before starting his PhD.
Outside of the lab, he loves singing, playing all kinds of sports and board games, and cooking. He is also passionate about sharing science with the public, having organized science fairs and community events on behalf of University of Chicago, and loves any chance to share his own research with new audiences.
Ms. Frances (Fran) Lightbound
---------------------------------
Frances Lightbound is an interdisciplinary artist based in Chicago, working between printmaking, sculpture and installation to address the materiality of built space, and relationships between time, bodies and buildings. She is a lecturer in Printmedia at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues in the US and Europe, with recent solo exhibitions at Rule Gallery (Marfa TX), Bird Show (Chicago), and the John David Mooney Foundation (Chicago). Lightbound was awarded a Luminarts Visual Arts Fellowship in 2017.
Originally from Sheffield, England, she received an MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA (Hons) from Glasgow School of Art, Scotland.
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Image credit: Vishnu Dharmaraj
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Where is it happening?
Parlour and Ramp, 2130 W 21st St, Chicago, IL 60608-2608, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherYoav Kashiv
