Cancer metastasis is the cause of death in most cancers. Not all the cancer cells in the distant organ form a metastatic tumors. Do the heterogeneities in alveolar and capillary mechanobiology contribute in proliferation, immune evasion, and dormancy of the cancer cells? Can we utilize the mechanobiology and mechano-immunity of the lung to prevent or reduce rate of metastasis? To answer these questions, our lab has developed Crystal Ribcage to track single cancer cell in real-time and in a functioning lung. 

Aging increases the rate and severity of many disease progression including pneumonia and cancer. What is the key contributor, the systemic factor (i.e., the bloodborne factors and immunity) or the resident factors (i.e., extracellular matrix and resident cells)? Dissecting resident from circulating factors in vivo has been challenging in studying aging. Our lab has developed sophisticated  in vivo cross circulation models to mechanistically decouple these factors with immediate application in studying aging, and many other conditions such as obesity and memory of the immune system. 

Transport and transmission of pathogens (viral or bacterial) at the cellular level in a functioning lung is simply impossible. Our lab developed advanced experimental and computational models to track aerosols, at the single droplet level, from trachea all the way to single alveolus (air sacs) where the infection,  immune reaction, and capillary entry initiate. Deciphering the real-time dynamics of aerosols transport and transmission not only increases our understanding of respiratory infections, but also provides a platform for developing and testing intrapulmonary drug delivery strategies.