As a multidisciplinary researcher, I am driven to advance microfluidic technologies for transformative biomedical applications. My work focuses on overcoming limitations in traditional drug discovery—particularly inefficiency, high costs, and ethical concerns tied to animal testing. By designing innovative microfluidic platforms that mimic tumor microenvironments, I identified lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1) as a critical regulator of restrictive tumor migration and discovered three novel small-molecule inhibitors with therapeutic potential. These findings, published in high-impact journals like Molecular Cancer (IF:41.44) and Small (IF:15.153), underscore my commitment to bridging foundational research and clinical translation. I participated in Hong Kong Research Impact Funding project, which received 9 - million - HKD grants and developed a patented high - throughput microfluidic drug - screening platform. My four Chinese and two US patents highlight its translational promise.
The Hong Kong Laureate Forum aligns with my vision of interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle global health challenges. I aim to engage with laureates and peers to explore synergies between microfluidics, AI-driven screening, and organ-on-chip technologies, while advocating for ethical innovation in biomedicine. Participation will empower me to contribute my expertise and accelerate the development of precision therapies through global scientific dialogue.

My research focuses on advancing microfluidic technologies to model the tumor microenvironment and unravel cancer metastasis mechanisms for precision drug discovery. Current work centers on developing biomimetic microfluidic platforms that replicate key aspects of tumor cell migration, enabling high-throughput screening of therapeutic candidates.
My ongoing efforts aim to address existing gaps through two key directions: 1) Dynamic 3D Metastasis Modeling: Designing a hydrogel-based system with organoid samples and programmable shear stress (via peristaltic pumps) to mimic the entire metastatic cascade, from primary tumor invasion to circulatory survival. This allows real-time tracking of metastatic phenotypes and downstream multi-omics analysis of surviving cells. 2) Integrated tumor microenvironment drug screening platform: Incorporating hypoxia, acidity, and heterotypic cell interactions into confined migration platforms to study how environmental cues drive metastasis. Moreover, this platform applies with high throughput function to precisely screen anti-tumor compounds. These platforms aim to standardize metastasis research, reduce reliance on animal models, and guide personalized therapies by predicting metastatic potential and optimizing drug selection. My work ultimately seeks to transform cancer treatment through engineering-driven, clinically actionable solutions.