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Faculty & research

Ying Zheng

Faculty Photo

Associate Professor
Bioengineering

Biography

We are building human tissue and organ systems in vitro to study the fundamentals of human diseases, develop therapies, and regenerate human cells, tissues and organs.

The goal of our research program is to understand and engineer the fundamental structure and functions in living tissue and organ systems of our human body from nanometer, micrometer to centimeter scale. The fundamentals and technology requirements of our program includes a mixture of biomechanics, transport phenomena, microfluidic technologies, and biology and medicine. The success of our research achievement may lead towards clinical applications for regenerative tissue and organs, and therapeutic applications and health industry with deconstructive in vivo-mimicing models.

Education

  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2008
  • B.S., Engineering Thermophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, 2002

Previous appointments

  • Postdoctoral Training, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 2011

Select publications

  1. Zheng, Y., Chen, J., Lopez, J.A., “Flow Driven assembly of VWF fibers and webs in in vitro microvessels”, Nat. Commun. 6:7858 doi: 10.1038/ncomms8858 (2015).
  2. Palpant, N.J., Pabon, L., Roberts, M., Hadland, B., Jones, D., Jones, C., Moon, R., Ruzzo, W.L, Bernstein, I., Zheng, Y., Murry, C.E., “Inhibition of β-catenin signaling re-specifies anterior-like endothelium into beating cardiomyocytes”, Development, 2015 Jul 7. pii: dev.117010.
  3. Zheng, Y., Chen, J., Lopez, J.A., ” Microvascular platforms for the study of platelet-vessel wall interactions.”, Thromb Res. 2014 Jan 7. pii: S0049-3848(14)00003-6.
  4. Lopez, J., Zheng, Y., “Synthetic microvessels”, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2013 Jun;11 Suppl 1:67-74. PMID: 23809111.
  5. Morgan, J.P., Delnero, P.F., Zheng, Y., Verbridge, S.S., Chen, J., Choi, N.W., Diaz-Santana, A., Kermani, P., Hempstead, B., López, J.A., Corso, T.N., Fischbach, C., Stroock, A.D., (2013), “Formation of microvascular network in vitro”, Nature Protocol, doi:10.1038/nprot.2013.110.
  6. Zheng, Y., Chen, J., Craven, M., Choi, N.W., Totorica, S., Diaz-Santana, A., Kermani, P., Hempstead, B., Fischbach-Teschl, C., López, J.A., Stroock, A.D., (2012), “In vitro microvessels for the study of angiogenesis and thrombosis”, PNAS, 109(24), 9342-7.
  7. Zheng, Y., Henderson, P.W., Choi, N.W., Bonassar, L.J., Spector, J.A., Stroock, A.D., “Microstructured templates for directed growth and vascularization of soft tissue in vivo”, Biomaterials (2011), doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.04.001.
  8. Cross, V., Zheng, Y., Choi, N.W., Verbridge., S.S., Sutermaster, B.A., Bonassar, L.J., Fischbach-Teschl, C., Stroock, A.D., 2010, “Dense collagen matrices with microstructure and cellular remodeling for three-dimensional cell culture”, Biomaterials, 31(33), 8596-607.
  9. Verbridge, S.S., Choi, N.W., Zheng, Y., Brooks, D., Stroock, A.D., Fischbach-Teschl,C., 2010, Oxygen-controlled 3-D cultures to analyze tumor angiogenesis”. Tissue Engineering, 16(7), 2133-3141.
  10. Chueh, B.H., Zheng, Y., Torisawa Y., Hsiao A., Ge C., Hsiong S., Huebsch N., Franceschi R., Mooney D.J., Takayama S. 2010, “Patterning alginate hydrogels using light-directed release of caged calcium in a microfluidic device”Biomed Microdevices, 12, 145-151.
  11. Zheng, Y., Fujioka, H., Bian, S., Torisawa, S., Huh, D., Takayama, S., Grotberg, J.B., 2009, “Liquid Plug Propagation through Flexible Microchannels – a Small Airway Model”, Phys. Fluids., 21, 071903.
  12. Zheng, Y., Fujioka, H., and Grotberg, J.B., 2007, “Effects of Gravity, Inertia and Surfactant on Steady Plug Propagation in a Two-Dimensional Channel”, Phys. Fluids., 19(7).
  13. Zheng, Y., Fujioka, H., Grotberg, J.C. and Grotberg, J.B., 2006, “Effects of Gravity and Inertia on Liquid Plug Splitting at a Bifurcation”, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering-Transaction of ASME, 128(5), pp707-716.
  14. Zhu, L., Zheng, Y., von Kerczek, C. H., Topoleski, L.D.T., and Flower, R. W., 2006, “Feasibility of Extracting Velocity Distribution in Choriocapillaris in Human Eyes from ICG Dye Angiograms”, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering- Transaction of ASME, 128(2), pp203-209.

Honors & awards

  • 2013 National Institute of Health Director’s New Innovator Award
  • 2011 American Heart Association Scientist Development Award
  • 1997, 1999, 2001 Outstanding Student Scholarship
  • 2000 Guanghua Educational Scholarship
  • 1998 Spectral Physics Scholarship