Clark T. Hung

PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, PROFESSOR OF ORTHOPEDIC SCIENCES (IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY)

351 Engineering Terrace
Mail Code 8904

Tel(212) 854-6542
Fax(212) 854-8752

Clark Hung pursues multidisciplinary research using state-of-the-art biological and engineering tools to perform studies to investigate physical effects (e.g., cell deformation, fluid flow effects, osmotic pressure) on cells and tissues and the incorporation of these forces in strategies to develop functional cartilage substitutes. An understanding of the effects of physical forces on cells is important in the development of effective tissue replacements that mimic or restore normal tissue structure-function in orthopaedic and other load-bearing tissues of the body. Such studies may lead to strategies aimed at alleviating the most prevalent and chronic problems afflicting the musculoskeletal system such as arthritis and problems related to sports and occupational injuries.  His research has been funded by agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation.  His work has been published in 166 full-length publications and 15 book chapters. 

Research Interests

Cartilage tissue engineering, osteoarthritis, mechanobiology, electrotherapeutics

Of particular interest to Hung is the mechanobiology of cartilage and chondrocytes.  A better understanding of how cells perceive and respond to applied physical stimuli may provide greater insights to the role that physical forces play in the etiology of degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis, as well as in normal maintenance of articular cartilage. These studies have formed the underpinning of his lab’s functional tissue engineering efforts using applied physiologic deformational loading and osmotic loading to promote engineered cartilage tissue development in culture. His team also explores the role of other physical forces, including applied electric fields, to guide cell migration in healing or forming tissues as well as to optimize cell sources. 

His research has led to four issued US patents, including those describing 1) an engineered osteochondral graft with native functional properties (https://www.google.com/patents/US20100036492), 2) lipid shell microbubbles as porogens for tissue engineering scaffolds (https://www.google.com/patents/US8617892), 3) MOPS preservation media for osteochondral allograft storage (https://google.com/patents/US9220258), 4) chondrogenic media formulation including TMAO (https://www.google.com/patents/US20130202567). MOPS has been licensed by the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation and is the storage media for their clinical osteochondral grafts. The media preserves grafts twice as long as the industry standard media, with the benefit of no serum or refrigeration. There is also a patent pending for the methylcellulose suspension technique for cell synchronization utilized in the current project (https://www.google.com/patents/WO2016081742).

Hung received a BSE in biomedical engineering from Brown University in 1990, a MSE in bioengineering in 1992, and a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.   He is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  In 2016 he received the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research from the Orthopaedic Research Society.  

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

  • Postdoctoral fellow, Columbia University, 1996-1997
  • Postdoctoral fellow/Instructor, University of Pennsylvania, 1995-1996

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Vice Chair, Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 2023-
  • Professor of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2009-
  • Undergraduate chair of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2015-2020
  • Associate professor of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2002–2009
  • Assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 1997–2002
  • Director, Biomedical Engineering: Physical Effects on Cells, summer high school course, School of Professional Studies (1999- )

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
  • American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – Bioengineering Division
  • Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
  • Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS)

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Fellow, ICORS (2019)
  • Fellow, BMES (2018)
  • Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research, ORS (2016)
  • Fellow, ASME (2010)
  • Fellow, AIMBE (2009)
  • NEGMA-LERADS Prize; 3rd International Symposium on Mechanobiology of Cartilage and Chondrocyte, Brussels, Belgium (2003)
  • Edward and Carole Kim Award for Faculty Involvement, FFSEAS, Columbia University (2002)
  • Editor in Chief, Journal of Orthopaedic Research & Reviews (2009-)
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Orthopaedic Research (2008-)
  • Editorial Board, Tissue Engineering , Parts A, B and C (2011-2014, 2016-)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • Stefani, R.M., S.S. Halder, E.G. Estell, A.J. Lee, A.M. Silverstein, E. Sobczak, N.O. Chahine, G.A. Ateshian, R.P. Shah, and C.T. Hung, A Functional Tissue Engineered Synovium Model to Study Osteoarthritis Progression and Treatment. Tissue Eng Part A, 2019. 25(7-8): p. 538-553. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30203722/
  • Stefani, R.M., S. Barbosa, A.R. Tan, S. Setti, A.M. Stoker, G.A. Ateshian, R. Cadossi, G. Vunjak-Novakovic, R.K. Aaron, J.L. Cook, J.C. Bulinski, and C.T. Hung, Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Promote Repair of Focal Articular Cartilage Defects with Engineered Osteochondral Constructs. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2020. 117(5): p. 1584-1596. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31985051/
  • Stefani, R.M., A.J. Lee, A.R. Tan, S.S. Halder, Y. Hu, X.E. Guo, A.M. Stoker, G.A. Ateshian, K.G. Marra, J.L. Cook, and C.T. Hung, Sustained low-dose dexamethasone delivery via a PLGA microsphere-embedded agarose implant for enhanced osteochondral repair. Acta Biomater, 2020. 102: p. 326-340. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31805408/
  • Mauck RL, Soltz MA, Wang CC, Wong DD, Chao PH, Valhmu WB, Hung CT, Ateshian GA. Functional tissue engineering of articular cartilage through dynamic loading of chondrocyte-seeded agarose gels. J Biomech Eng. 2000 Jun;122(3):252-60. PubMed PMID: 10923293.
  • Bian L, Fong JV, Lima EG, Stoker AM, Ateshian GA, Cook JL, Hung CT. Dynamic mechanical loading enhances functional properties of tissue-engineered cartilage using mature canine chondrocytes. Tissue Eng Part A. 2010 May;16(5):1781-90. PubMed PMID: 20028219; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2952125.
  • Sampat SR, O'Connell GD, Fong JV, Alegre-Aguarón E, Ateshian GA, Hung CT. Growth factor priming of synovium-derived stem cells for cartilage tissue engineering. Tissue Eng Part A. 2011 Sep;17(17-18):2259-65. PubMed PMID: 21542714; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3161099.
  • Lima EG, Durney KM, Sirsi SR, Nover AB, Ateshian GA, Borden MA, Hung CT. Microbubbles as biocompatible porogens for hydrogel scaffolds. Acta Biomater. 2012 Dec;8(12):4334-41. PubMed PMID: 22868194; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3654399.
  • Hung CT, Henshaw DR, Wang CC, Mauck RL, Raia F, Palmer G, Chao PH, Mow VC, Ratcliffe A, Valhmu WB. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in bovine articular chondrocytes in response to fluid flow does not require calcium mobilization. J Biomech. 2000 Jan;33(1):73-80. PubMed PMID: 10609520.
  • Chao PH, West AC, Hung CT. Chondrocyte intracellular calcium, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression responses to dynamic osmotic loading. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2006 Oct;291(4):C718-25. PubMed PMID: 16928775.
  • Sampat SR, Dermksian MV, Oungoulian SR, Winchester RJ, Bulinski JC, Ateshian GA, Hung CT. Applied osmotic loading for promoting development of engineered cartilage. J Biomech. 2013 Oct 18;46(15):2674-81. PubMed PMID: 24035014; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3902123.