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Faculty & Staff
Remembering Lance Kam
November 10, 2026
The Columbia Biomedical Engineering Department mourns the unexpected passing of Professor Lance Kam, a beloved member of our community whose impact extended far beyond his contributions as an exceptional researcher and educator. Lance was a dedicated mentor, valued colleague and dear friend to many, inspiring students and colleagues through his commitment to research, teaching and mentorship. We remember and celebrate his life, his many contributions, and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.
Professor Lance Cameron Kam was born on February 7, 1969, in Honolulu, Hawaii and passed away on October 30, 2026, in New York City. Lance was a beloved husband, dedicated father, loving son, brother, uncle and friend. He was a cherished faculty member, respected leader, and dedicated teacher whose contributions to the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University were truly extraordinary.
Born to Dr. Calvin Kam, a renowned neurosurgeon in Hawaii, and Mrs. Shirley Kam, Lance grew up in the Aloha state of Hawaii with his brothers Curtis and Christopher. It was there that he cultivated lifelong friendships and love for nature and sports in the Aloha Spirit of living with love, compassion, respect and connection to others. He also developed his true passion for science and engineering at the Iolani School. He went on to attend Washington University in St. Louis to pursue undergraduate education in physics and engineering, followed by doctoral training in Biomedical Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
Professor Kam started his scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry at Stanford University where he studied supported lipid bilayer as foundational system to capture the nanoscale biocomplexities of membrane compartments in living cells. He joined Columbia’s Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2003 and played a central role in supporting the department’s growth over the next 2 decades. His research endeavors applied principles of biomaterial engineering to show how living cells interpret their surroundings and evaluated treatments that harnessed the body’s immune system to fight disease. He was also a pioneer in the emerging field of T-cell immune cell mechanobiology. For his many important contributions to medicine and biomedical engineering, he was named an AIMBE Fellow in 2023.
In addition to his beloved wife, Dr. Jia Ruan, he is survived by his son, Richard Kam and daughter, Caroline Kam; his parents Dr. Calvin Kam and Mrs. Shirley Kam; his brother, Christopher Kam; and a large circle of extended family, friends, and colleagues.
The family requests that all remembrance be made in the form of contributions to the Lance Kam Memorial Fund through the Columbia "Biomedical Engineering Support Fund".