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Dean Ho is currently an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Full Member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University where he directs the Laboratory for Nanoscale Biotic-Abiotic Systems Engineering (N-BASE).

His research has covered emerging areas of bio-nano-technology and protein-functionalized materials. Dr. Ho and his colleagues were the first to develop nanodiamond materials for therapeutic delivery. In addition, Dr. Ho has been among the first to demonstrate the coupling of protein function with a polymer film to fabricate nano energy conversion systems. This work was published in a Cover Article in the peer-reviewed journal, Nanotechnology as well as a featured article in Nanotechnology. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers in the areas of nanomedicine, drug delivery, and nanomaterials.

Currently, Dr. Ho is investigating the fabrication of nanodiamond-based technologies for drug delivery, glucocorticoid-functionalized materials as anti-inflammatory coatings to enhance implant biocompatibility, as well as localized and targeted chemotherapy using novel nanomaterial devices. Dr. Ho's extensive research achievements have garnered news coverage on CNN.com, Nature, United Press International, Reuters, Yahoo, MICRO/NANO, as well as BBC Radio. Dr. Ho is currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of Nanotechnology Law and Business, Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, and Advanced Science Letters, and is a member of Sigma Xi. He was recently selected as one of 15 cancer researchers in the nation for a V Foundation for Cancer Research V Scholars Award, and honored by the New Faces of Engineering National Award presented by IEEE.