BIO/BME Faculty Search Seminar; Dr. Fan Zhang

Title: "Engineering Vascular Networks for Tissue Engineering, Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Innovation"

Abstract: Engineering functional, multi-scale vascular networks remains a major hurdle in developing physiologically accurate tissues for regenerative medicine. In this seminar, I will discuss strategies for engineering vasculature by integrating biomaterials design and 3D bioprinting with high-throughput in vivo screening. These platforms enable control and quantitative evaluation of vascular formation, maturation, and integration with host circulation. By fine-tuning cell-material interactions and microenvironmental cues, this work establishes vascularized human liver tissues at the intersection of fundamental biology and bioengineering, advancing applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug development.