Kam W. Leong

Kam W. Leong

Samuel Y. Sheng Professor of Biomedical Engineering (in Systems Biology)

Leong’s research focuses on the development of innovative biomaterials for two major therapeutic applications: drug delivery and regenerative medicine.

He uses polymeric biomaterials to deliver chemotherapeutics, DNA-based therapeutics, and cells for cancer therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and cell therapy. He also uses tissue engineering principles and stem cell engineering to construct human tissue-on-a-chip for disease modeling and high-throughput drug screening. 

In cancer therapy, Leong collaborates with Dr. Tadao Ohno to develop a tumor vaccine comprising cytokines and tumor tissue fragments from the patients. It has been used to treat over 350 brain cancer patients in Japan. In nonviral gene therapy, Leong demonstrates the feasibility of using DNA nanoparticles to deliver FVIII and FIX genes orally to treat hemophilia in animal models. He has also developed nanomanufacturing techniques to produce DNA nanoparticles, a critical barrier in the eventual translation of nanomedicine. In regenerative medicine, Leong pioneers the application of DNA nanoparticles to convert adult cells from one cell type to another, raising the possibility of treating intractable neurodegenerative disorders via nonviral cell reprogramming. He has also recently developed nanoparticle-mediated genome editing technologies to delete harmful genes and correct genetic disorders. The work will impact precision medicine and the development of human tissue-on-a-chip for new drug development.

Leong received a BS in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.  He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Editor-in-Chief of Biomaterials. 

Research Areas

  • Biomaterials
  • Cell & Tissue Engineering
  • Drug Delivery
  • Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip Technology
  • Regenerative Medicine

Additional information

  • Professional Experience
    • Research Associate, M.I.T., 1982-1986
    • Samuel Y. Sheng Professor, Columbia University, 2014–
    • James B. Duke Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 2007–2014
    • Assistant, Associate, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 1987-2006

     

     

  • Professional Affiliations
    • Society for Biomaterials
    • Biomedical Engineering Society

     

  • Honors & Awards
    • National Academy of Medicine, 2020
    • Honorary professorship: Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Sichuan University, Zhejiang University,
    • Beijing University of Chemical Technology
    • Clemson Award for Applied Research – Society for Biomaterials
    • Distinguished Scientist Award - International Journal of Nanomedicine
    • President’s Fellowship for Distinguished Scientist - Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Lifetime Achievement Award – Chinese American Society of Nanotechnology & Nanomedicine
    • National Academy of Inventors, 2013
    • National Academy of Engineering, 2013