Research Overview
The immune system plays a critical role in defense as well as pathogenesis of diseases ranging from viral infection, bacterial infection, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease and cancer. Precisely control the immune system through bioengineering strategy has immense therapeutic implication and is a research emphasis of the lab. The video to the left shows how we can use a gelated artificial antigen presenting cell (red) to expand antigen-specific T cells (green).
Immunoengineering
Advances in bionanotechnology and biomaterials enable therapeutics to be better reformulated to attain higher potency and safety. Nanotechnology in medicine has shown tremendous value in drug delivery and vaccine preparations, where pharmacokinetics and immune activation can be finely tuned via rational nanomaterials engineering. A major research focus of the laboratory is to develop novel therapeutic nanomaterials with an emphasis toward clinical translation.
Therapy-Driven Bioengineering
The interface between materials and biology remains a complex topic, and understanding such interface can help design biomaterials with better functionalities and higher biocompatibility. We seek to take inspirations from biology and adopt an engineering approach to improve nanoparticle and biomaterials design.