Ke Cheng

Dr. Ke Cheng is the Alan L. Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science, where he leads the BioTherapeutics Laboratory. Previously, he held positions at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Dr. Cheng's research focuses on regenerative medicine strategies using adult stem cells, biomaterials, and nanomedicine approaches for pulmonary and cardiac bioengineering. His lab has made significant contributions including the discovery of 'angiopellosis' as a new mechanism of cell extravasation and the development of innovative therapies such as 'Nanodecoy' for COVID-19. The lab employs integrated approaches combining magnetic/molecular targeting, tissue engineering, nanomaterials, and hydrogel technologies to enhance stem cell therapies for various degenerative diseases.

Dr. Cheng has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the 2025 Clemson Award for Applied Research, the 2024 Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation, and being named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate in 2024. He is also a Fellow of three major professional organizations: the International Association of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the American Heart Association (AHA).

• Clemson Award for Applied Research (2025)
• Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation Award (2024)
• Highly Cited Researchers from Clarivate (2024)
• Fellow of International Association of Medical and Biological Engineering
• Fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
• Fellow of American Heart Association

As an academic leader, Dr. Cheng currently serves as Chair of the NIH Biomaterials and Biointerfaces (BMBI) study section, Editor-in-Chief for Extracellular Vesicle (Elsevier), and Associate Editor for Bioactive Materials. His lab's research has resulted in publications in top journals including Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Biomedical Engineering, and Science Translational Medicine. Dr. Cheng has successfully led several FDA-approved Investigational New Drug applications and founded biotech companies to translate his research into clinical therapies for lung and heart regeneration, cancer treatment, and advanced drug delivery systems.