Research

Featured Research Areas

We conduct experimental and theoretical studies in two major areas: 1) Cellular Biomechanics and Biological Transport and 2) Biomedical Acoustics. In the first area, our focus is on myeloid, endothelial, and cancer cell biology. To figure out the etiology of atherosclerosis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, we investigate phenotypic changes in human monocytes/macrophages, mast cells, vascular endothelial cells, and cancer cells under various pathophysiological conditions. This work involves advanced microscopy techniques, flow cytometry, deformability cytometry, cytokine analysis, proteomic analysis, static and flow adhesion assays, and cell migration assays.  

In the second area, we investigate how living cells, tissues, and biological polymers respond to mechanical forces induced by acoustic waves. Particularly, we explore the potential of focused ultrasound combined with selected chemical agents to induce cellular reprogramming. This novel approach, referred to as "mechanochemical reprogramming", has several important applications such as nerve regeneration (e.g., in spinal cord injury and vision loss), cancer treatment, and tissue engineering. We also develop novel acoustics-based methods for material characterization and medical diagnostics. One of our patented technologies is acoustic tweezing rheometry in which material properties and their temporal changes are measured using a small drop of material sample levitated in air. In this translational project, our current focus is on drop-of-blood coagulation analysis in patients with hemophilia and sickle cell disease, trauma patients, patients on anticoagulant therapy, and infectious disease patients.