Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Dr. Xuechen Shi is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, working in Dr. Paul Janmey's lab in the Department of Physiology and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering. His research focuses on understanding the emergence of tissue-like mechanics from natural and synthetic hydrogels, as well as the development of magnetorheological biomaterials to explore how cells respond to time-varying stiffness. In addition to his primary research, Xuechen collaborates with physicians and medical professionals from the Perelman School of Medicine to investigate tissue mechanics in humans and mice.
Before joining Penn, Xuechen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Nankai University, China. He completed his Ph.D. in bioengineering at Pennsylvania State University under the guidance of Dr. Sulin Zhang. During his doctoral research, he explored how interfacial tensions regulate tissue morphologies and discovered an actin-ring switching mechanism in wound healing processes.
Xuechen is deeply passionate about fundamental science and uncovering underlying mechanisms. His career aspiration is to establish a research laboratory dedicated to exploring the interaction between tissue mechanics and cellular behaviors, ultimately applying this knowledge to improve human health.
Large polyacrylamide hydrogels for large-batch cell culture and real-time tunable stiffness
Thursday, October 12, 2023
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM PDT