Working at the interface of chemistry and biology, his research interests are focused upon discovery and development of molecular probes, for addressing important biological questions across multiple disciplines. Specific emphasis is towards the design of small organic molecules, metallopharmaceuticals, and peptides for biomedical applications in neurodegenerative diseases; understand protein-protein interactions via imaging of reporter gene expression in vivo; and investigate biological mechanism(s) of infectious diseases as well as neurological disorders by fostering direct collaborations with investigators in biology. Employing institutional resources as well as funding obtained from federal, state, and nonprofit organizations, Dr. Sharma's group continues to discover and validate diagnostic agents for rapidly emerging field of the molecular imaging.