Biography

Dr. Liming Bian received his B.Eng and M.Sc degree from the National University of Singapore in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Dr. Bian earned his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering under the advisory of Dr. Clark T. Hung and Dr. Gerard A. Ateshian at Columbia University in 2009. After three years of postdoctoral research with Dr. Jason A. Burdick in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Bian joined CUHK as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical & Automation Engineering starting in August, 2012. His research is focused on stem cell tissue engineering for repairing soft musculoskeletal tissues. Dr. Bian is also interested in the development of biomaterial-based model systems to investigate the role of cell microenvironment factors including mechanical, chemical and cell-matrix interactions in stem cell differentiation.

Research

• Biomaterials: develop extracellular matrix derived biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering applications; develop biomaterial-based platforms to study stem cell behavior and differentiation.
• Stem cell tissue engineering: study the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for soft musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
• Effect of microenvironment cues on cells: investigate the role of microenvironment cues including mechanical forces, cell-scaffold interactions and biochemical factors on cellular function, tissue structure and development.
• Mineralization of soft musculoskeletal tissues: examine the mineralization process as a natural development (calcified fribrocartilage in ligament/tendon insertions), response to injuries (fractured bone callus remodeling) or pathological degeneration (degenerating intervertebral discs and menisci) in soft connective tissues in engineered model systems and translate findings to clinical application of regenerative medicines.

Teaching by Years

2014/2015

• BMEG3430 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
• BMEG5150 Principles of Biomechanics & Biomaterials
• BMEG4530 Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

2013/2014

• BMEG3430 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
• BMEG5150 Principles of Biomechanics & Biomaterials
• BMEG4530 Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

2012/2013

• BMEG3430 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
• BMEG4530 Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

Honors & Awards

• STAR award (Student Travel Achievement Recognition) from the Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials, 2011
• Finalist for the Orthopedic Research Society's New Investigator Recognition Awards (NIRA) competition at the 57th annual meeting of the Orthopedic Research Society, Long Beach, CA, Jan, 2011 (46 finalists were selected out of 648 applicants).
• Honorable mention in the ASME Bioengineering Division PhD paper competition, Marco Island, FL, 2008.

Publications

Journal Papers

• +Feng, Q.; +Wei, K.; Lin, S.; Xu, Z.; Sun, Y.; Shi, P.; Li, G.; *Bian, L. Mechanically resilient, bioadhesive, and injectable supramolecular gelatin hydrogels crosslinked by weak host-guest interactions assist cell infiltration and in situ tissue regeneration. Biomaterials, 2016 Sept, 101: 217-28.
• +Li, J.; +Lee, Y. W.; Wu, T.; Xu, J.; Zhang, K.; Wong, S.H.; Li, R.; *Li, G.; *Bian, L. Near-infrared light-triggered release of small molecules for controlled differentiation and long-term tracking of stem cells in vivo using upconversion nanoparticles. Biomaterials, 2016 Dec; 110: 1-10
• +Xu, J.; +Li, J.; Lin, S.; Wu, T.; Huang, H.; Zhang, K.; Su, Y.; Yeung, K.W.K.; Li, G.; *Bian, L. Delivery of small molecular drug and siRNA to enhance chondrogenic differentiation and suppress hypertrophy of hMSCs by a multifunctional nanocarrier. Advanced Functional Materials, 2016; 26 (15): 2463-72
• Wei, K.; Zhu, M.; Su, Y.; Xu, J.; Feng, Q.; Lin, S.; Wu, T.; Xu, J.; Tian, F.; Xia, J.; Li, G.; *Bian, L. Robust biopolymeric supramolecular "Host-Guest Macromer" hydrogels reinforced by in situ formed multivalent nanoclusters for cartilage regeneration. Macromolecules, 2016; 49 (3): 866-875
• Choi, C.K.; Xu, Y.; Wang, B.; Zhu, M.; Zhang, L.; *Bian, L. Substrate coupling strength of integrin-binding ligands modulates adhesion, spreading, and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Nano Letters, 2015; 15(10):6592-600.
• Zhu, M.; Lin, S.; Sun, Y.; Feng, Q.; Li, G.; *Bian, L. Hydrogels functionalized with N-cadherin mimetic peptide enhance osteogenesis of hMSCs by emulating the osteogenic niche. Biomaterials, 2016, Vol.77: 44-52
• Choi, C.K.; Li, J.; Wei, K.; Xu, Y.; Ho, L.W.; Zhu, M.; To, K.W.; *Choi, C.H.; *Bian, L. A gold@polydopamine core-shell nanoprobe for long-term intracellular detection of microRNAs in differentiating stem cells. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015;137(23):7337-46
• Bian, L.; Guvendiren, M.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Hydrogels that mimic developmentally relevant matrix and N-cadherin interactions enhance MSC chondrogenesis. PNAS, 2013 Jun 18;110(25):10117-22
• Bian, L.; Hou, C., Tous, E.; Rai R.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. The Influence of Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Crosslinking Density and Macromolecular Diffusivity on Human MSC Chondrogenesis and Hypertrophy. Biomaterials, 2013 Jan; 34(2):413-21.
• Bian, L.; Zhai, D.Y.; Tous, E.; Rai R.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Enhanced MSC chondrogenesis following delivery of TGF-ß 3 from alginate microspheres within hyaluronic acid hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. Biomaterials, 2011 Sep; 32(27):6425-34.
• Bian, L., Angione, S.L., Ng, K.W., Lima, E.G., Williams, D.Y., Mao D.Q., Ateshian, G.A., Hung, C.T. Influence of decreasing nutrient path length on the development of engineered cartilage. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2009 May; 17(5):677-85.

Books

• Book chapter for “Bio-inspired materials for biomedical engineering”, Wiley.

Conference Papers

• Bian, L.; Murat Guvendiren; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Hydrogels that mimic developmentally relevant N-cadherin interactions enhance MSC chondrogenesis. Accepted by Annual Meeting of Society for Biomaterials, Boston, MA, 2013
• Bian, L.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Dynamic compressive loading and crosslinking density influence the chondrogenic and hypertrophic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells seeded in hyaluronic acid hydrogels. ASME 2012 Summer Bioengineering Conference, Farjardo, Puerto Rico, 2012.
• Bian, L.; Zhang, E.C.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Scaffold mechanical properties influence the hypertrophic differentiation of chondrogenically-induced human mesenchymal stem cells. Orthopedic Research Society, Transactions Vol.36, San Francisco, CA, 2012.
• Bian, L.; Zhang, E.C.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Dynamic compressive loading enhances cartilage matrix synthesis and distribution and suppresses hypertrophy in hmsc-laden hyaluronic acid hydrogels. Orthopedic Research Society, Transactions Vol.36, San Francisco, CA, 2012.
• Bian, L.; Zhai, D.Y.; Burdick, J.A. Alginate microsphere/hyaluronic acid hydrogel composites for controlled delivery of tgf-β3 to enhance encapsulated MSC chondrogenesis. Annual Meeting of Society for Biomaterials, Orlando, FL, 2011.
• Bian, L.; Zhai, D.Y.; Mauck, R.L.; Burdick, J.A. Coculture of human mesenchymal stem cells and articular chondrocytes reduces hypertrophy and enhances functional properties of engineered cartilage. Finalist for the Orthopedic Research Society's New Investigator Recognition Awards (NIRA) competition at the 57th annual meeting of the Orthopedic Research Society, Long Beach, CA, 2011.
• Bian, L., Ng, K.W., Lima, E.G., Xu, D., Jayabalan, P.S., Stoker, A.M, Cook, J.L., Ateshian, G.A, Hung C.T. Applied dynamic loading enhances mechanical properties of engineered cartilage using adult chondrocytes. Orthopedic Research Society, Transactions Vol.34, New Orleans, LA, 2010.