Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Developed osteoinductive acellular matrix from embryonic stem cells for bone regeneration Regenerated cartilage by tailoring biomaterials, cartilage matrix, growth factors, and stem cells Created a rat critical-size xiphoid cartilage defect model and evaluated tissue engineered cartilage implants for cartilage regeneration Stem Cell Biology Investigated the mechanism of mechanical stimulations and growth factors in chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells Evaluated the effects of in vitro expansion on mesenchymal stem cell phenotype Explored the effects of environmental cues on embryonic stem cell differentiation Musculoskeletal Biology Investigated the mechanism of hypoxia regulation of growth plate chondrocytes and bone formation Generated a Pdia3 knockout mice for in vivo evaluation of the effect of disruption of Pdia3 gene on skeletal development and examined the rapid membrane signaling pathway involved in 1,25(OH)2VitD3’s actions on growth plate chondrocytes and osteoblast in vitro Explored the effects of sex hormones on growth plate chondrocytes and the signaling pathway involved
Young Investigator Award, 33rd annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2010, , Toronto, Canada Young Investigator Award, 14th International Vitamin D Workshop, 2009, Brugge, Belgium Travel Award, 5th International Symposium on Mechanobiology of Cartilage, 2007, Athens, Greece Distinguished Student Award, 1994-2007, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China