Dr. Nancy Pleshko is a Professor Emerita and Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. She received her BSc degree in Chemistry from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and her PhD in Chemistry from Rutgers University, NJ, in the field of spectroscopic applications to biomineralization. She was the director of the Musculoskeletal Imaging and Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Hospital for Special Surgery, an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical School in New York City, for 15 years prior to joining Temple University in 2009.
Dr. Pleshko’s research lab (The Tissue Imaging and Spectroscopy Lab) focuses on advanced optical and vibrational spectroscopic technologies to address challenges in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. She investigates tissues at the molecular, cellular, and structural levels to better understand tissue development, extracellular matrix composition, disease processes, and responses to therapeutic interventions. Her work spans translational studies of connective tissue pathophysiology and more recently environmental contaminants of concern including microplastics. She is a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Applied Spectroscopy, and is a Fellow of the Orthopedic Research Society and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She has received continuous federal funding for over 25 years and has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles.