Research Interests
Molecular mechanisms by which cells interact with nanomaterials with applications in nanomedicine and environmental exposure
Bio
Christine Payne is the Yoh Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University. Her research focuses on understanding how cells interact with nanomaterials. This includes fundamental questions of nanoparticle transport within cells, as well as applied research to understand the pulmonary response to the inhalation of nanoparticles in a manufacturing setting. Her team uses an interdisciplinary approach that includes elements of materials science, chemistry, biophysics, and lab automation. She teaches classes on the quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics of materials including a class on the “Materials Science of Science Fiction.” She earned a S.B. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago (1998) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (2003). Prof. Payne spent 2003-2006 as an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. Prof. Payne has received many honors including an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (2009) and a DARPA Young Faculty Award (2011). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Education
- B.S. The University of Chicago, 1998
- Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2003
Positions
- Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Alstadt Chair of the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Professor of Chemistry
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Jefferson Science Fellows Program - Science, Technology, Engineering and Medical Science. National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine. 2023
- Fellow. Royal Society of Chemistry. 2020
Courses Taught
- ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
- ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
- ME 490: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering
- ME 412: Modern Materials
- ME 391: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
In the News
- Christine Payne Begins Tenure as Chair of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Duke (Jan 9, 2025 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Five New Bass Professors Named for Excellence in Teaching and Research (Apr 23, 2020)
Representative Publications
- Anees, Faisal, Diego A. Montoya, David S. Pisetsky, Tariq Khan, Abhishek Kalpattu, and Christine K. Payne. “DNA coronas resist nuclease degradation.” Biophys J, May 29, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2025.05.028.
- Heckman, Morgan M., Michaela C. Albright, Karsten M. Poulsen, Robert M. Tighe, and Christine K. Payne. “Cellular and In Vivo Response to Industrial, Food Grade, and Photocatalytic TiO2 Nanoparticles.” J Phys Chem B 128, no. 37 (September 19, 2024): 8878–85. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02804.
- Bartone, Ryan D., Logan J. Tisch, Judith Dominguez, Christine K. Payne, and James C. Bonner. “House Dust Mite Proteins Adsorb on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Forming an Allergen Corona That Intensifies Allergic Lung Disease in Mice.” ACS Nano, September 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c07893.
- Anees, Faisal, Diego A. Montoya, David S. Pisetsky, and Christine K. Payne. “DNA corona on nanoparticles leads to an enhanced immunostimulatory effect with implications for autoimmune diseases.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121, no. 11 (March 12, 2024): e2319634121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319634121.
- Dominguez, Judith, Samantha K. Holmes, Ryan D. Bartone, Logan J. Tisch, Robert M. Tighe, James C. Bonner, and Christine K. Payne. “House Dust Mite Extract Forms a Der p 2 Corona on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Implications for Allergic Airway Disease.” Environ Sci Nano 11, no. 1 (January 1, 2024): 324–35. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00666b.