Cell Reprogramming for Mechanomedicine

Abstract:  Our research centers on cell and tissue engineering, aiming to harness the potential of stem cell differentiation, cell reprogramming, synthetic biology for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and therapy. In this presentation, I will discuss our work on (1) mechanoepigenetic engineering for cell reprogramming by using biomaterials and microdevices; and (2) the development of synthetic cells for CAR-T cell cancer treatment. These findings hold substantial promise for advancing cell engineering and mechanomedicine.

KEYWORDS: CAR-T therapy, epigenetic engineering, cell reprogramming, biophysical factor

Bio:  Song Li holds a B.S. and M.S. from Peking University, as well as a Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in bioengineering from UC San Diego. He was a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley from 2001 to 2015 and served as the chair of the Bioengineering Department at UCLA between 2016-2024. He is currently the director of the Bioengineering Institute for California and serves on the board of directors at the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. Li's research is focused on cell and tissue engineering and he has contributed to the understanding of how biophysical factors regulate stem cell differentiation and cell reprogramming. He has developed multidisciplinary approaches for engineering biomaterials, stem cells and immune cells for tissue regeneration and disease therapy. Li has published more than 200 papers in top scientific journals including Nature Materials and Nature Biomedical Engineering, filed 19 patent applications, co-edited three books, served as the co-editor-in-chief for Med-X Journal and reviewed manuscripts for over 60 journals. Li has given more than 180 invited lectures and served on review and advisory panels across governmental, private agency and university in over 10 countries. Li's contributions to bioengineering have been widely recognized by many awards and honors including the Global Biomaterials Leadership Award by the Chinese Association of Biomaterials, and was elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

Co-hosts:  Professor Quinton Smith and Professor Han Li