Sean Sun

Sean Sun is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Physical Science-Oncology Center under the Johns Hopkins Institute of Nanobiotechnology. He directs the Sun Cell Mechanics Group, focusing on cell motility, molecular motors, and theoretical biomechanics. His research bridges mechanobiology, biophysics, and quantitative cell biology, with applications to cancer and physiological systems.

Education: B.S. from Pennsylvania State University (1994), Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from UC Berkeley (1998).

Research interests include mechanosensitive cell volume regulation, hydraulic pressure dynamics, and the interplay between mechanics and biochemistry in cellular processes. He pioneered models of cell-driven fluid dynamics and developed novel methods for measuring single-cell volume (CTRL).

His work reveals kidney cells' active fluid-pumping role, challenging traditional filtration paradigms. Recent studies highlight how extracellular fluid viscosity enhances cancer dissemination and how hydraulic resistance influences cell migration strategies.

Scientific Awards: Inducted as an AIMBE Fellow (2017) for contributions to cell mechanics understanding. Part of 2025 Johns Hopkins Discovery Awards interdisciplinary teams.

Lab/Teams: Sun Cell Mechanics Group explores biophysical mechanisms in health and disease, integrating experimental and computational approaches. Current projects include organ-on-a-chip devices for trans-epithelial transport studies and aneuploidy's role in metastasis.