The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) is pleased to present a seminar with Assistant Professor Soojung Claire Hur, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University
Please join us on Thursday, February 27 at 11 a.m. to hear Professor Soojung Claire Hur's seminar titled "Microfluidic Systems for Patient-Derived Cellular and Acellular Specimens in Personalized Medicine."
Where: QNC 1501
When: Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
About the seminar
Title: Microfluidic Systems for Patient-Derived Cellular and Acellular Specimens in Personalized Medicine
Abstract: Rapid advancements in clinical medicine have underscored significant challenges arising from individual variations in treatment responses, making the development of personalized medicine essential. To overcome these challenges, systematic and quantitative analyses of patient-derived cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial.
The Hur lab focuses on developing microfluidic systems that observe and modulate single-cell behaviors and acellular specimen properties, providing new insights into clinical heterogeneity. By understanding the relationship between biophysical properties and cellular phenotypes, the lab recognizes that these properties not only influence cellular functions but can also be harnessed to regulate them.
A key innovation from the Hur lab involves differential inertial microfluidic devices, which precisely position cells in flow based on their intrinsic physical properties. These devices facilitate the isolation and maintenance of identical cell populations within specific regions of the microfluidic channel, enabling detailed studies of function modulation. Recent advances include integrating electroporation with vortex-cell trapping microfluidics to enhance primary cell transformation and pioneering electroporating of EVs for targeted cargo delivery. The Hur lab continues to innovate high-throughput techniques for target cell detection, cost-effective cell and particle separation, and multimolecular delivery, with promising applications in oncology, immunology, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine.
About the speaker
Soojung Claire Hur is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. She received her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. After her doctoral training, she joined the Rowland Institute at Harvard University as one of two Rowland Fellows in September 2011 with five years of research funding. Before joining Johns Hopkins University, she managed clinical studies funded by Vortex Biosciences, Inc. as an assistant researcher at UCLA Department of Bioengineering. She has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the Edward K. Rice Outstanding Doctoral Student award, the 2018 inaugural Johnson and Johnson WiSTEM2D scholar award, the School of Engineering Faculty Award at the 2018 Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine Research Retreat, the 2019 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Award, 2019 Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Award and 2023 JHU Catalyst Award. She co-authored 25 peer-reviewed journals, including three articles featured as journal covers, 40+ conference proceedings, 3 US and two internationally granted patents.