Rate My Professor Christine Payne

Payne's research centered on nanoparticle-cell interactions, including the formation of protein coronas on nanoparticles, cellular internalization and transport, oxidative stress responses, and applications in nanomedicine and environmental health. Her studies examined how TiO2 nanoparticles subtly alter oxidative stress gene expression, induce plasma membrane oxidation, and interact with lung fluid proteins to elicit macrophage responses. She developed tools like HyPer-Tau for spatially resolved hydrogen peroxide sensing in live cells and explored pyrenebutyrate-mediated delivery of quantum dots across the blood-brain barrier. Key publications include "Molecular Structure of the Protein Corona and Cellular Outcomes" (Accounts of Chemical Research, 2014), "Nanoparticle–Cell Interactions: Relevance for Public Health" (Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2018), "TiO2 Nanoparticle-Induced Oxidation of the Plasma Membrane: Importance of the Protein Corona" (Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2017), "A protein corona primer for physical chemists" (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2019), and "Common nanoparticle has subtle effects on oxidative stress genes" (Georgia Tech news, 2016). Payne received the NIH Research Scholar Development Award (2007), ACS PROGRESS/Dreyfus Lectureship (2008), NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (2009), DARPA Young Faculty Award (2011), Vasser Woolley Award (2014), and was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2021).