Knobbe Martens BME Distinguished Lecture Series: Song Li, UCLA

Friday, March 3, 2017 - 12:00 p.m. to Saturday, March 4, 2017 - 11:55 a.m.
McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium (MDEA)
Song Li, Ph.D.

Chair, Biomedical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles

Abstract: It has largely been accepted that biophysical cues can regulate a variety of cell functions, including signal transduction from the cell membrane through the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The regulation of signaling molecules by biophysical factors represents the early responses of cells, which can lead to the activation of transcriptional factors resulting in differential gene expression and cell functions. I will discuss how biophysical cues such as microtopography, substrate stiffness and fluid shear stress can modulate the cell reprogramming process, through either epigenetic modifications or transcriptional regulation. These findings will lead to new cell engineering approaches for the applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug screening.

Bio:  Song Li got B.S. and M.S. from Beijing University, and received his Ph.D. and postdoctoral training at UC San Diego. He was a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley, 2001-2015, and he moved to UCLA in 2016. He is a Chancellor’s Professor and serves as the chair of the bioengineering department. His research is focused on stem cell engineering, mechanobiology and tissue engineering. His recent work helps elucidate the mechanisms of cell reprogramming regulated by biophysical factors and the roles of stem cells in tissue regeneration. Li has published more than 150 papers in various journals including Nature Materials, Nature Communications, PNAS, etc. He has been elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

Meet-and-greet reception: 4-5 p.m., March 3, Natural Sciences II, third floor lobby