Prof WANG Dan Michelle - School of Biomedical Sciences, CUHK

Prof WANG Dan Michelle

Assistant Professor

39430681

wangmd@cuhk.edu.hk

Room 422A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sci. Bldg, Area 39, CUHK

ORCID

Biography

Prof. Dan Michelle WANG (王丹) obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and pursued postdoctoral training at Stanford University. In Aug 2022, she assumed the position of Assistant Professor at CUHK with appointments in the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS), the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), and Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology (ORT; by courtesy). She also serves as a Principal Investigator at CNRM, InnoHK center located at Hong Kong Science Park.

Prof. Wang has extensive training that spans across diverse disciplines, including basic and pre-clinical research, as well as her medical practice. In her current research program at CUHK, Prof. Wang and her team focus on elucidating the synergistical contributions of cell microenvironmental features, such as extracellular matrix (ECM), substrate stiffness, mechanical loading, during tendon development, regeneration, and the pathogenesis of diseases. This knowledge will be applied towards the development of innovative therapeutics and the engineering of novel biomaterials for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. Prof. Wang has secured local and national research support and her research findings have been published as the first author or corresponding author in internationally renowned academic journals, including Advanced Materials, Bioactive Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Biomaterials, NPG Asia Materials, as well as in book chapters. Prof. Wang also contributes to the academic community as an editorial board member for the esteemed journals Bioactive Materials and BMEMat.

Research Interests

Cell niche: Synergistic effects of biochemical and biophysical cues in tendon regeneration and pathogenesis.
ECM biology and ECM-based biomaterial development: Investigating cell and ECM interactions and developing ECM-mimetic biomaterials for tendon repair.
Exosome-based cell free therapy: Advancing large-scale production of stem cell-derived exosome technologies for tendon repair.

Selected Publications

Wanqi Zhang, Ying Rao, Shing Hei Wong, Yeung Wu, Yuanhao Zhang, Rui Yang, Stephen Kwok Wing Tsui, Dai Fei Elmer Ker, Chuanbin Mao, Jessica E. Frith, Qin Cao, Rocky S. Tuan and Dan Michelle Wang. Transcriptome-guided hydrogel design of a stem cell niche for enhanced tendon regeneration. Advanced Materials. 2024; e2313722. IF:27. 4
Shuting Huang, Ming Yik Tam, Wai Hon Ho, Hong Ki Wong, Meng Zhou, Dai Fei Elmer Ker, Samuel KK. Ling, Rocky S. Tuan, Dan Michelle Wang. Model with Massive Supraspinatus Tendon Defect for Investigating Scaffold-Assisted Tendon Repair. Biological Procedures Online. 2024;26(1):31. IF:3.7
Ying Zhang, Ying RAO, Jiahuan Lu, Jiyu Wang, Dai Fei Elmer Ker, Jingying Zhou, Dan Michelle Wang. The Influence of Biophysical Niche on Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Liver Cancer. Hepatology communications. 2024;8(11):e0569. IF: 5.7
Huang S, Rao Y, Zhou M, Blocki AM, Chen X, Wen C, Ker DFE, Tuan RS, Wang DM. Engineering an extracellular matrix-functionalized, load-bearing tendon substitute for effective repair of large-to-massive tendon defects. Bioactive Materials. 2024;36:221-237. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.02.032. IF:18. 0
Huang S, Rao Y, Ju AL, Ker DFE, Blocki AM, Wang DM, Tuan RS. Non-collagenous proteins, rather than the collagens, are key biochemical factors that mediate tenogenic bioactivity of tendon extracellular matrix. Acta Biomaterialia. 2023:S1742-7061(23)00745-6. IF: 9.7
Ka Yu Carissa KWAN, Ka Wai Kerry NG, Chenxian ZHU, Ying Rao, Shengcai QI, Rocky S. Tuan, Dai Fei Elmer KER, Dan Michelle Wang. Effect of Aging on Tendon Biology, Biomechanics and Implications for Treatment Approaches. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(20):15183. IF: 6.208
Ying Rao, Chenxian Zhu, Hoi Ching Suen, Shuting Huang, Jinyue Liao, Dai Fei Elmer Ker, Rocky S. Tuan, Dan Wang. Tenogenic Induction of Human Adipose-derived Stem Cells by Soluble Tendon Extracellular Matrix: Composition and Transcriptomic Analyses. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2022;13(1):380. 2022 IF: 8.088
Dan Wang, Xu Zhang, Kai Wai Ng, Ying Rao, Chenyang Wang, Burhan Gharaibeh, Sien Lin, Geoffrey Abrams, Marc Safran, Emilie Cheung, Phil Campbell, Lee Weiss, Yunzhi Peter Yang. Growth and Differentiation Factor-7 Immobilized, Mechanically Strong Quadrol-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate-Methacrylic Anhydride Polyurethane Polymer for Tendon Repair and Regeneration. Acta Biomaterialia. 154:108 (2022). 2022 IF: 9.7
Liu H, Shen Y, Zhao B, Poon EH, Qi S, Ker DFE, Billiar TR, Cooper GM, Xu Y, Wang D. Short-term Administration of the HIV Protease Inhibitor Saquinavir Improves Skull Bone Healing with Enhanced Osteoclastogenesis. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2022;150(6):1264e-1274e. 2020 IF: 5.169
Wang D, Ker DFE, Ng KW, Li K, Gharaibeh B, Safran M, Cheung E, Campbell PG, Weiss LE, Yang YP. Combinatorial Mechanical-Gradation and Growth Factor-Biopatterning Strategy to Spatially Control Bone-Tendon-like Cell Differentiation and Tissue Formation. NPG Asia Materials. 2021;13: 26. 2020 IF: 9.7
Wang D, Zhang X, Huang ST, Liu Y, Fu SC, Mak KL, Blocki AM, Yung SH, Tuan RS, Ker DFE. Engineering Multi-Tissue Units for Regenerative Medicine: Bone-Tendon-Muscle Units of the Rotator Cuff. Biomaterials. 2021;120789. 2020 IF: 15.304
Wang D, Pun CCM, Huang S, Tang TCM, Ho KKW, Rothrauff BB, Yung PSH, Blocki AM, Ker EDF, Tuan RS. Tendon-derived extracellular matrix induces mesenchymal stem cell tenogenesis via an integrin/transforming growth factor-β crosstalk-mediated mechanism. FASEB Journal. 2020;34(6):8172-8186. 2020 IF: 5.834
Wang D, Gilbert JR, Zhang X, Zhao BK, Ker DFE, Cooper GM. Long Bone versus Calvarial Bone: Development, Structure, Healing and Tissue Engineering Strategies. Tissue Engineering Part B. 2020; 26(1):46-63. 2020 IF: 7.376
Ker DFE*, Wang D*, Behn AW, Wang ETH, Zhang X, Zhou BY, Mercado-Pagán AE, Kim S, Kleimeyer J, Gharaibeh B, Shanjani Y, Nelson D, Safran M, Cheung E, Campbell P and Yang YP. Functionally graded, bone- and tendon-like polyurethane for rotator cuff repair. Advanced Functional Materials. 2018; 28(20):1707107. 2020 IF: 19.924
^* Co-first author

Grants

NSFC-RGC, N_CUHK409/23 [Principal Investigator]: “The development of tendon extracellular matrix-enriched, amino acid polymer hydrogel for functional tendon repair”.
GRF, RGC 14118620 [Principal Investigator]: “Development of tendon extracellular matrix-based approach for functional tendon repair”.
GRF, RGC 14121121 [Principal Investigator]: “Tendon extracellular matrix (ECM): identification of pro-tenogenic components and engineering of an ECM-mimetic biomaterial for tendon repair”.