Invited Speakers
Symposium Program and Speaker Information
 |
Pranjal NautiyalOklahoma State UniversityPranjal Nautiyal is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. His expertise is in the broad area of advanced materials processing and mechanics, with a focus on cold spray assisted manufacturing, nanostructured materials, and tribology. Before moving to OSU, he did his Postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, where his research focused on lubricants and coatings for harsh mechanical environments. Pranjal is a proud FIU alumnus, from where he received his PhD in materials science and engineering in 2020. For his PhD dissertation, he studied the mechanics of nanostructured materials and coatings using in-situ methods. He also collaborates with industry and national labs for technology development and commercialization. He has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and 1 book, and holds 5 US patents. Pranjal recently received an Early Career Award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. |
 |
Tzung HsiaiUniversity of California Los AngelesTzung Hsiai, Ph.D. research focuses on advanced imaging sensors to elucidate mechanotransduction underlying tissue injury and repair. Dr. Hsiai received his undergraduate education from Columbia University and his medical training from the University of Chicago. He received his PhD in BioMEMS at UCLA, and was recruited to the University of Southern California Schools of Engineering with an Early Career Endowed Chair. In 2014, he was recruited back to UCLA to promote team science, which led to the LA PRISMS Center connecting UCLA Bioinformatics and Microbiome Research with USC’s Environmental Health Sciences Center. |
 |
Song LiUniversity of California Los AngelesSong Li, Ph.D. holds a B.S. and M.S. from Peking University, as well as a Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in Bioengineering from UC San Diego. Throughout his career, he has held positions with prestige and leadership, including serving as a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley from 2001 to 2015, chairing the Bioengineering Department at UC Los Angeles, and serving as the Director of Bioengineering Institute for California. Dr. Li's research is focused on cell and tissue engineering. He has contributed to the understanding of how biophysical factors regulate stem cell differentiation and cell reprogramming, and has developed multidisciplinary approaches for engineering biomaterials, stem cells, and immune cells for tissue regeneration and disease therapy. |