Cheng Dong, distinguished professor of bioengineering, has been named the new head of Penn State's Department of Bioengineering, effective Aug. 1.
The major focus of Dong's research is to elucidate biomechanical, biophysical and biochemical aspects of cellular function in the circulatory systems, with particular interest in cellular biomechanics, cell adhesion, cell migration, cell signaling, systems biology and multi-scale modeling of biological systems.
His current work at Penn State includes studies of micro-hemodynamics, leukocyte rheology, intercellular and intracellular signaling, cancer immunology and metastases. In particular, Dong is investigating how fluid dynamics, adhesion kinetics and tumor microenvironment change leukocyte and/or endothelial immune functions which subsequently affect tumor cell extravasation in the microcirculation and subsequent metastasis.
Dong received his doctorate in applied mechanics and bioengineering from Columbia University in 1988.
Dong is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and served on the BMES board of directors.
He holds memberships in the U.S. National Committee on Biomechanics, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Physiological Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and serves as a managing editor, guest editor or associate editor on a number of professional journals.