Biomedical ultrasound has evolved into a multi-functional tool for scientific research and medical applications covering imaging, regulation, treatment, etc., and has a wide range of applications in clinical practice. Ultrasound, as a mechanical wave, can stimulate cells and tissues non-invasively or minimally. It has attracted increasing attention in tissue regeneration, neuromodulation, drug delivery, blood brain barrier opening, and cancer immunotherapy. The mechanical effect of ultrasound on the biological system plays an important role in the treatment of ultrasound, and has began to receive growing attentions. However, the fundamental research is still in early stage. The intersection of ultrasound and mechanobiology will greatly promote scientific discovery and innovation in applications.

   Mechanical properties of cells is shown to correlate with the invasiveness and metastasis of cancer cells. Cellular deformability could help evaluate the drug response of cancer cells. Microfluidic techniques have good potential for high-throughput mechanical phenotyping of cancer cells and cell sorting. It can also provide good control of the mechanical environment for cell and organoid growth.

Research topics

1. Biophysics of ultrasound on cells and macromolecular delivery: Physics (Cavitation bubble dynamics, jets, acoustic streaming); bioeffects (cell deformation, sonoporation, calcium signaling, mechanotransduction); Endothelial permeabilization (BBB on chip, integrin-targeted microbeads, tight junction regulation, paracellular transport)

2. Ultrasound neuromodulation: mechanisms (electrophysiology and 2-photon imaging, synaptic transmission); bioeffects (glia activity and neurovascular coupling); new techniques development (sonogenetics, wearable devices)

3. High-throughput microfluidic mechanical phenotyping：single cell deformation analysis; drug screening; disease early diagnosis (RBCs and cancer cells)