# Vicki Colvin

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**Vicki Leigh Colvin** (born October 12, 1965) is a professor of engineering and molecular pharmacology at [Brown University](/source/Brown_University), and has been selected as the next dean of the [Louisiana State University](/source/Louisiana_State_University) College of Engineering. At Brown, she is the director of the Centre for Biomedical Engineering. Her work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of [nanomaterials](/source/Nanomaterials). She is a Fellow of the [American Association for the Advancement of Science](/source/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science) and the [American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering](/source/American_Institute_for_Medical_and_Biological_Engineering).

## Early life and education

Colvin was inspired to study science after watching her mother drink coffee.[1] She is the daughter of Harry Colvin and Carolyn Collins. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics at [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) in 1988.[2][3] She completed her doctoral studies in 1994 under the supervision of [Paul Alivisatos](/source/Paul_Alivisatos) at the [UC Berkeley College of Chemistry](/source/UC_Berkeley_College_of_Chemistry).[3][4][5] After completing her PhD, Colvin joined [AT&T Bell Laboratories](/source/AT%26T_Bell_Laboratories).[6] Here she worked on materials for [holographic data storage](/source/Holographic_data_storage).[7]

## Career

Colvin was appointed to [Rice University](/source/Rice_University) in 1996 as part of their expansion in [nanotechnology](/source/Nanotechnology).[6] She was awarded a [Phi Beta Kappa](/source/Phi_Beta_Kappa) teaching prize and named as [Discover magazine](/source/Discover_(magazine))'s Top Scientists to Watch.[1][8] Her research was supported by a fellowship from the [Alfred P. Sloan Foundation](/source/Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation).[8] She pioneered the use of water-soluble quantum dots in biomedicine.[9] The quantum dots can be encapsulated into amphiphilic polymers, which allows control of the quantum dot toxicity.[9][10] As a model for tissue localization following intradermal infiltration, Colvin studied how quantum dots migrate in mice.[11] She found that 1D quantum dots remain as a deposit on the skin and penetrate the nearby [subcutis](/source/Subcutis) and were distributed to draining lymph nodes.[11] She bound quantum dots to gold nanoparticles with a [peptide sequence](/source/Peptide_sequence), which suppresses luminescence; allowing the combination to be used as probes for targeted degradation.[12] She investigated how the shape of quantum dots impacted their function and toxicity.[13] She demonstrated that weathering quantum dots in acidic and alkaline conditions can increase the [bactericidal](/source/Bactericide) activity due to the rapid release of cadmium and selenite ions.[14] Her group worked on other nanomaterials, including [fullerene C60](/source/Fullerene_C60).[15]

At [Rice University](/source/Rice_University), Colvin was appointed the Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Chemistry.[16] Her work continued to consider the interactions of nanoparticles, with applications in water purification.[16] She is particularly interested in how nanoparticles interact with living systems.[17] She investigated [cerium oxide](/source/Cerium_oxide) nanocrystals, and whether when they could be used for medical applications when coated in [oleic acid](/source/Oleic_acid).[18][19] Colvin led a UK-US scientific effort to create a framework to regulate the use of nanomaterials.[20] She delivered the 2012 [Arthur M. Sackler](/source/Arthur_M._Sackler) Colloquium, talking about the properties of nanoparticles.[21] In 2013 Colvin was named by [Chemistry of Materials](/source/Chemistry_of_Materials) as one of their most highly cited investigators. Her recent research looks at [sorbents](/source/Sorbent) that can help to remove [arsenic](/source/Arsenic).[22]

### Academic service

Colvin was director of the [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation) Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology from 2001 to 2011.[3] She was elected a Fellow of the [American Association for the Advancement of Science](/source/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science) in 2007 and the [American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering](/source/American_Institute_for_Medical_and_Biological_Engineering) in 2011.[23][24] She became the vice provost for research at [Rice University](/source/Rice_University) in 2011.[6][25][26] Colvin joined [Brown University](/source/Brown_University) as provost in 2014, after a nationwide search, and resigned after less than a year in the position.[6][27][28] She joined the board of the [Schlumberger Foundation](/source/Schlumberger_Foundation) that year, with the hope to secure funding for women scientists.[17] During her time as provost, she created an entrepreneurial education program, reined in the budget deficit and established a vice provost of the arts position.[27] She stepped down from her role as provost in June 2015 to focus on her research.[27] She has taught multiple courses for [Coursera](/source/Coursera) and is an advocate for [flipped classroom](/source/Flipped_classroom) learning.[6][23] She is an editor of the journal [Small](/source/Small_(journal)).[29]

Colvin was named the chair of the committee to conduct the quadrennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.[30]

## References

1. ["20 Young Scientists to Watch"](http://discovermagazine.com/2000/oct/featwatch). *Discover*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki Colvin NENM 2018"](https://nny.sites.acs.org/vickicolvinnenm2018.htm). *Northern New York Local Section*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki Colvin"](https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/participants/vicki-colvin/). *World Science Festival*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Chemistry Tree - Vicki L. Colvin Family Tree"](https://academictree.org/chemistry/tree.php?pid=82741). *academictree.org*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki Colvin"](https://pines.berkeley.edu/people/vicki-colvin). *Pines Lab*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Dubin, Michael (2014-05-20). ["Vicki Colvin named new provost"](http://www.browndailyherald.com/2014/05/20/vicki-colvin-named-new-provost/). *Brown Daily Herald*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki L. Colvin, Rice University"](http://nanoparticlelibrary.net/contributor.asp?ID=12). *Nanoparticle Information Library*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Biography of Dr. Vicki Colvin"](https://archive.epa.gov/oswer/nanotechnology/web/html/ia-introduction-biography.html). *Nanotechnology for Waste and Cleanup*. US EPA. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Yu, William W.; Chang, Emmanuel; Drezek, Rebekah; Colvin, Vicki L. (2006-09-29). "Water-soluble quantum dots for biomedical applications". *Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications*. **348** (3): 781–786. [Bibcode:2006BBRC..348..781Y](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006BBRC..348..781Y). [doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.07.160](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.07.160). [ISSN 0006-291X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0006-291X). [PMID 16904647](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16904647)

1. Chang, Emmanuel; Thekkek, Nadhi; Yu, William W.; Colvin, Vicki L.; Drezek, Rebekah (2006). "Evaluation of Quantum Dot Cytotoxicity Based on Intracellular Uptake". *Small*. **2** (12): 1412–1417. [Bibcode:2006Small...2.1412C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006Small...2.1412C). [doi:10.1002/smll.200600218](https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.200600218). [ISSN 1613-6829](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1613-6829). [PMID 17192996](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17192996)

1. Howard, Paul C.; Walker, Nigel J.; Colvin, Vicki L.; Yu, William W.; Warbritton, Alan R.; Siitonen, Paul H.; Cozart, Christy R.; Webb, Peggy; Roberts, Dean W. (2007-07-01). "Migration of Intradermally Injected Quantum Dots to Sentinel Organs in Mice". *Toxicological Sciences*. **98** (1): 249–257. [doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfm074](https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfm074). [ISSN 1096-6080](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1096-6080). [PMC 3471152](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3471152). [PMID 17404394](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17404394)

1. Chang, Emmanuel; Miller, Jordan S.; Sun, Jiantang; Yu, William W.; Colvin, Vicki L.; Drezek, Rebekah; West, Jennifer L. (2005-09-09). "Protease-activated quantum dot probes". *Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications*. **334** (4): 1317–1321. [Bibcode:2005BBRC..334.1317C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005BBRC..334.1317C). [doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.07.028](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.07.028). [ISSN 0006-291X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0006-291X). [PMID 16039606](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16039606)

1. Colvin, Vicki L. & Buhro, William E. (March 2003). "Semiconductor nanocrystals: Shape matters". *Nature Materials*. **2** (3): 138–139. [Bibcode:2003NatMa...2..138B](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003NatMa...2..138B). [doi:10.1038/nmat844](https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat844). [ISSN 1476-4660](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1476-4660). [PMID 12612665](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12612665). [S2CID 13634895](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:13634895)

1. Mahendra, Shaily; Zhu, Huiguang; Colvin, Vicki L.; Alvarez, Pedro J. (2008-12-15). "Quantum Dot Weathering Results in Microbial Toxicity". *Environmental Science & Technology*. **42** (24): 9424–9430. [Bibcode:2008EnST...42.9424M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008EnST...42.9424M). [doi:10.1021/es8023385](https://doi.org/10.1021/es8023385). [ISSN 0013-936X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0013-936X). [PMID 19174926](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19174926)

1. Sayes, Christie M.; Gobin, Andre M.; Ausman, Kevin D.; Mendez, Joe; West, Jennifer L.; Colvin, Vicki L. (2005-12-01). "Nano-C60 cytotoxicity is due to lipid peroxidation". *Biomaterials*. **26** (36): 7587–7595. [doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.05.027](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.05.027). [ISSN 0142-9612](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0142-9612). [PMID 16005959](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16005959)

1. ["Vicki L. Colvin"](https://chemistry.rice.edu/people/vicki-colvin). *Department of Chemistry*. Rice University. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181219044723/https://chemistry.rice.edu/people/vicki-colvin) 2018-12-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki Colvin"](https://www.slb.com/about/foundation/board/bio_colvin.aspx). *Schlumberger*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181219044149/https://www.slb.com/about/foundation/board/bio_colvin.aspx) 2018-12-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Rice scientists create a super antioxidant"](http://news.rice.edu/2013/10/14/rice-scientists-create-a-super-antioxidant/). *news.rice.edu*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Lee, Seung Soo; Song, Wensi; Cho, Minjung; Puppala, Hema L.; Nguyen, Phuc; Zhu, Huiguang; Segatori, Laura; Colvin, Vicki L. (2013-11-26). "Antioxidant Properties of Cerium Oxide Nanocrystals as a Function of Nanocrystal Diameter and Surface Coating". *ACS Nano*. **7** (11): 9693–9703. [Bibcode:2013ACSNa...7.9693L](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ACSNa...7.9693L). [doi:10.1021/nn4026806](https://doi.org/10.1021/nn4026806). [ISSN 1936-0851](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1936-0851). [PMID 24079896](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24079896)

1. ["US, UK join forces for nano safety"](http://news.rice.edu/2011/01/27/us-uk-join-forces-for-nano-safety/). *news.rice.edu*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia (2 July 2012), ["Vicki Colvin-Nanotechnology"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDe2RfpbHA), retrieved 2018-12-18

1. Colvin, Vicki. ["Towards Living Nanoscale Sorbents"](http://www.susnano.org/SNO2017/pdf/Presentation_SNO_Colvin.pdf). *Sus-Nano*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Professor Vicki Colvin, Instructor"](https://www.coursera.org/instructor/~2280464). *Coursera*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Vicki Colvin, Ph.D. COF-1410 - AIMBE"](https://aimbe.org/college-of-fellows/cof-1410/). Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Chronicle, Houston (2011-07-10). ["People in Business"](https://www.chron.com/business/article/People-in-Business-2080481.php). *Houston Chronicle*. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

1. ["Colvin and Farach-Carson named to vice provost positions"](http://news.rice.edu/2011/07/13/colvin-and-farach-carson-named-to-vice-provost-positions/). *news.rice.edu*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. Zappa, Joseph (2015-05-19). ["Vicki Colvin to step down as Brown University's provost"](http://www.browndailyherald.com/2015/05/19/after-only-a-year-colvin-to-step-down-as-provost/). *Brown Daily Herald*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. ["Keeping Up With Change"](https://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/articles/2014-11-05/keeping-up-with-change). *www.brownalumnimagazine.com*. Retrieved 2018-12-18.

1. "Starting on Top". *Small*. **4** (7): 863–866. 2008. [Bibcode:2008Small...4..863.](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008Small...4..863.). [doi:10.1002/smll.200800822](https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.200800822). [ISSN 1613-6829](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1613-6829)

1. [https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/quadrennial-review-of-the-national-nanotechnology-initiative-2025#sectionCommittee](https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/quadrennial-review-of-the-national-nanotechnology-initiative-2025#sectionCommittee)

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