Song, Jonathan

Biography

I am principal investigator of the Microsystems for Mechanobiology and Medicine Laboratory and Co-Director of the Center for Cancer Engineering, which is a joint initiative between the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Engineering that will serve as a nexus for high-impact collaborative research and technology transfer at the interface of engineering and oncology.  

My research group integrates engineering technology with cancer research to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo research.  The microsystems that my group has developed are readily amenable for incorporating novel molecular and genetic approaches, force probes, and imaging and detection techniques through collaborations with biomedical scientists, physical scientists, and engineers.  Using this interdisciplinary approach, my group aims to elucidate the physical and chemical processes that underlie different pathophysiological conditions.  Furthermore, we wish to leverage our microsystems approach as tumor disease models to test for new therapies and understand the mechanisms that confer resistance to current therapies.    

My research efforts are directly synergistic with my primary education and outreach initiatives, which aims to increase the pipeline of engineering students contributing to cancer research.  These efforts are supported by a NSF CAREER grant awarded to me and are buoyed by the strong appeal that cancer research has as a top societal priority as an avenue for attracting, retaining, and promoting resilience with engineering students with an emphasis on students from underrepresented groups.  My efforts towards promoting diversity in engineering are achieved through a series of initiatives that start at the middle and high school level and proceed to the senior undergraduate level while also engaging the local community. 

Education

B.S. - Northwestern University

M.S. - University of Michigan

Ph.D. - University of Michigan

Postdoctoral Fellow - Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School

Expertise

  • Microfluidics and microfabrication
  • Engineering-inspired cancer research
  • Angiogenesis and vascular biology
  • Bioengineering