Name: James H-C. Wang, Ph.D.
Title: Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering

Professional Summary:
James H-C. Wang received his BS degree in Solid Mechanics and his MS degree in Biomechanics from Tongji University in Shanghai, China. He came to the USA in 1991 to attend the University of Cincinnati, where he received his PhD in Bioengineering in 1996. After fellowships at Texas University Health Science Center in El Paso, TX, Johns Hopkins Medical School and Washington University in St Louis, he joined the MSRC in 1999. Currently Dr. Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering. He is also the Director of the Mechanobiology Lab and the Co-Director of the MCL Group.

Dr. Wang was awarded the Hulda Irene Duggan Arthritis Investigator by the Arthritis Foundation in 2001.

Dr. Wang's research is primarily in the area of cellular and tissue mechanobiology. He is specially interested in studying cellular biological responses and extracellular matrix remodeling under repetitive mechanical loading, and improving the biological, biochemical and biomechanical properties of the healing tendon and ligament with functional tissue engineering. In addition, he is interested in probing and controlling individual cellular phenotype expression with MEMS technology. His research is funded by NIH, the Arthritis Foundation and the Whitaker Foundation.

Current projects include:
  • A multidisciplinary study of the pathophysiology of tendinitis
  • Microarray (Gene-Chip) analysis of differential gene expression in human tenon fibroblasts subjected to cyclic mechanical stretching
  • Regulation of tendon fibroblasts contraction to enhance biological, biochemical and biomechanical properties of the healing tendon
  • Application of cellular force monitor to studying extracellular matrix remodeling by mechanical forces
  • The effects of cell organization on biochemical compositions of extracellular matrix
Educational Background:
B.S. Solid Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China, 1978-1982
M.S. Biomechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China, 1985-1989
Ph.D. Bioengineering, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA, 1992-1996
Postdoc Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD, USA, 1996-1997
Postdoc Biomedical Engineering, Washington University at St. Louis, MO, USA, 1997-1998

MSRC Research Group:
Tendinitis
MCL

Lab Contact Info:
Musculoskeletal Research Center
E1645 Biomedical Science Tower
210 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-648-2000
Fax: 412-648-2001
wanghc@pitt.edu

Research Interests:
  • primarily in the area of cellular and tissue mechanobiology. Specially interested in studying cellular biological responses and extracellular matrix remodeling under repetitive mechanical loading, and improving the biological, biochemical and biomechanical properties of the healing tendon and ligament with functional tissue engineering. In addition, probing and controlling individual cellular phenotype expression with MEMS technology
Publications:
Wang, JH-C. Substrate deformation determines actin cytoskeleton reorganization: A mathematical modeling and experimental study. J theor. Biology. 202: 33-41, 2000.

Wang, JH-C., Grood, ES. The strain magnitude and contact guidance determine orientation response of fibroblasts to cyclic substrate strains. Conn. Tissue Res, 41(1): 29-36, 2000.

Wang, JH-C., Han, JS., Ryu, J., Rowen, B. A new method for representation of articular surfaces using the influence surface theory of plates, J Biomech 33(5): 629-633, 2000.

Wang, JH-C. , Grood, E.S., Florer, J., Wenstrup, R. Alignment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts in microgrooved silicone substrata subjected to cyclic stretching, J Biomech, 33(6): 729-735, 2000.

Wang, JH-C., Goldschmidt-Clermont, P., Moldovan, N., and Yin, F C-P. Leukotrienes and tyrosine phosphorylation mediate stretching-induced actin cytoskeletal remodeling in endothelial cells. Cell Motility & Cytoskeleton 46:137-145, 2000.

Wang, JH-C., Goldschmidt-Clermont, P., and Yin, F C-P. Contractility and reactive oxygen species affect actin cytoskeleton remodeling of the endothelial cell to mechanical stretching. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 28: 1165-1171, 2000.

Watanabe, N., Celechovsky, C., Niyibizi C., Wang, JH-C., Takai S., and Woo, SL-Y. The effect of growth factors on proliferation and matrix synthesis of fibroblasts from goat medial collateral ligament. J Musculoskeletal Res. 4(4): 257-264, 2000.

Neidlinger-Wilke, C., Grood, ES., Wang, JH-C., Brand, R., and Claes, L. Cell alignment is induced by cyclic changes in cell length: studies of cells grown in cyclically stretched substrates. J Orthop. Res. 19: 286-293, 2001.

Wang, JH-C., Goldschmidt-Clermont, P., Jeremiah Wille, Yin, FC-P. Specificity of endothelial cell reorientation in response to cyclic mechanical stretching. J Biomech. 34(12):1563-1572, 2001.

Personal Information:

Hobbies/Sports: Table tennis

Family: (Spouse/Children) Rong-fei/Anlu(son) and Anjie(daughter)

Home Country: P.R. China

Other Info:

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