Education
- PhD, 2012, Chemical Biology, Harvard University
- BS, 2006, Life Sciences, Peking University
Research Summary
We are fascinated by how and why cells organize into spatial patterns within tissues, aiming to uncover the fundamental design principles that govern tissue form and function. To explore this, we adopt a bottom-up approach to reconstitute multicellular patterns in vitro using synthetic biology tools, guided by mathematical modeling. In parallel, we study how patterns emerge in natural tissues and investigate their functional roles, using a combination of quantitative imaging, mouse genetics, machine learning, and stem cell engineering. Our current focus is on the patterning of the embryonic and adult lung. Through these complementary efforts, we strive to achieve a quantitative, multi-scale understanding of tissue development and to create new strategies for tissue engineering.
Awards
- Teaching Prize for Undergraduate Education, MIT School of Science, 2023
- Allen Distinguished Investigator, The Paul Alen Frontiers Group, 2021
- New Innovator Award, National Institutes of Health Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, 2021
- R.R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology, American Association for Anatomy, 2021
- Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Young Investigator Award, 2016
- NIH Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00 (NICHD), 2016
- American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015
Recent Publications
- Synthetically programming natural cell–cell communication pathways for tissue engineering. Wallach, L. A., Thomas, C. D., and Li, P. 2024. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering 32, 100554.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobme.2024.100554
