Wang receives $2.2M grant to develop programmable biomaterials

Yong Wang, associate professor of biomedical engineering

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Yong Wang, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Penn State, was recently awarded a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop programmable biomaterials.

As the principal investigator, Wang will work to develop programmable biomaterials with the ability to release multiple signaling molecules on demand over time, closely mimicking the tissues and organs of the human body. The programmable biomaterials will have potential applications to treat a variety of complex human diseases.

The research aims to create an implantable hydrogel that will target and improve vessel health through the facilitated delivery of oxygen, protein and other cell-sustaining properties. Wang will focus most specifically on the treatment of cardiovascular disease, seeking methods to repair or regenerate heart tissue.

“Research in the area of biomaterials is very complex and individuals have been seeking answers to the challenges that growth factors pose for many years, “ said Wang. “Our group is currently addressing many of these issues at a rapid pace with very compelling outcomes.”

The majority of the research will be conducted at Penn State, with a portion being performed at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, under the direction of the project co-investigator, Guo-Hua Fong, professor of vascular biology. While the researchers are currently working to develop an implantable material, they believe that in the long run, the formula can be expressed in multiple forms such as injectable solutions or capsules.
Wang began his academic career at the University of Connecticut and joined the Penn State biomedical engineering department in 2013. Since joining the University, he has brought federal funding of nearly $2.8 M to support biomaterials and drug delivery research.
Wang currently serves on the editorial boards of three international journals and was a keynote speaker at the 41st Northeast Bioengineering Conference in April 2015.
He is also a 2015 recipient of the Penn State College of Engineering and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Grace Woodward Grant for Collaborative Research in Engineering and Medicine