Delaware Institute for Science & Technology (DIST)

Research Core Facilities

Based in the Optical Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR) building, the Institute supports three research core facilities that provide state-of-the-art equipment and services to researchers at DSU, partner universities, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and industry. The core facilities are the OSCAR Imaging Core, the Cell Electrophysiology Core, and the Delaware Nucleotide Analysis (DNA) Core.

The Core specializes in imaging and spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and computational image analysis.

OSCAR Imaging Core

The Core supports neuroscience investigators with advanced methods to measure the function of nerve cells and neural tissues.

Cell Electrophysiology Core

The DNA Core facility provides DSU researchers with the capability to analyze an entire genome.

Delaware Nucleotide Analysis (DNA) Core

Research Centers

DIST is also the administrative home of three NIH-funded projects – the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, the Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research, and the Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research (IHER) Center. The DSU Advanced Quantum Sensing Center and the Center for Neighborhood Revitalization & Research are also based within the Institute.

INBRE’s mission is to continue building a self-sustaining basic and translational biomedical research capability in Delaware.

The Advanced Quantum Sensing Center

DIST Leadership & Staff

The Institute is lead by a team of researchers, faculty, and staff, many of whom also serve in roles within constituent DIST cores and centers.

Melissa A. Harrington, Ph.D.

Intsitute Director

Associate Vice President for Research

mharrington [at] desu.edu

(302) 857-6656

Dorothy Dillard, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Neighborhood Revitalization & Research

ddillard [at] desu.edu

Jacquelyn Jones

Associate Director for Outreach, Center for Research & Education

jjones [at] desu.edu

Brittany Maday

Director, Research Development & Services

bmaday [at] desu.edu

Michael Moore

Imaging Core Manager

mmoore [at] desu.edu

Brian McNaughton, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow

bmcnaughton [at] desu.edu

“ Organizations like ours need to be engaged in a real way, in a participatory way, and that we can make a real difference when we think about it comprehensively, as opposed to a single discipline.” DSU President Tony Allen