Wei Tan headshot
Associate Professor • Biomedical
wei.tan-1@colorado.edu
303-492-0239

Office Location: ECES 160
Lab Location: ECCE 128

Research Interests

Cardiovascular Bioengineering, BioMEMS

Dr. Tan’s laboratory is mainly interested in the interdisciplinary research at the cross-section of nano-materials and material mechanics with vascular medicine. The main research goal of the lab is to improve fundamental understanding as to how biomaterial properties, ranging from nano-scale molecule signaling and mechanics to macro-scale mechanics, play critical roles in remodeling or regenerating blood vessels through local and global regulation of epigenetic environments. Also, in parallel with improved understanding, new therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular diseases are being developed.

Societal Impact

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally. Our research aims to better understand the biomechanical environments that influence the disease progression and the performances of implants or other treatments, thereby creating novel, improved treatment platforms.

Select Publications and Accomplishments

  • M. FLOREN, W Tan. “Three-dimensional, soft neotissue arrays as high throughput platforms for the interrogation of engineered tissue environments”, Biomaterials, 59: 39-52, 2015 (PMID: 25956850)
  • S. Sharma, M. FLOREN, Y. DING, KR Stenmark, W. Tan*, S. Bryant *. “A photoclickable peptide microarray platform for facile and rapid screening of 3-D tissue microenvironments.” Biomaterials.143:17-28, 2017.  
  • H. YIN, Y. DING, Y. H., Zhai, W. Tan*, X. Yin*. “Orthogonal programming of Heterogeneous Micro-mechano-environments and Geometries in Three-Dimensional Bio-stereolithography.” Nature Communication, 9: 4096, 2018
  • M. RAFUSE, X. Xu, K. Stenmark, C. P. Neu, X. Yin, W. Tan. “Layer-specific arterial micromechanics and microstructure: influences of age, anatomical location, and processing Technique”. J. Biomech. 88, 113-121, 2019
  • M. Iglesias-Echevarria, L. Durante, R. JOHNSON, M. RAFUSE, Y. DING, W. Bonani, D. Maniglio, W. Tan “Coaxial PCL/PEG-thiol-ene microfiber with tunable physico-chemical properties for regenerative scaffolds.” Biomaterials Sci., 7, 3640-3651, 2019