Abstract: Immuno-engineering is an interdisciplinary field using approaches in immunology, bioengineering and material sciences to manipulate immunity for therapeutic purposes. Much has been focused on how immune cells can be engineered for treating diseases spanning diabetes and cancer to infectious diseases. In this talk, I will first share my lab's effort to enhance diabetic wound healing through mechano-activation of fibroblasts. This will be followed by the inhibition of cancer-associated fibroblasts to treat pancreatic cancer. Finally, I will discuss how the incorporation of stromal cells to immune organoids can create a more authentic in vitro human immunity in a dish model for studying infectious diseases.

Bio: Andy Tay graduated in 2014 from NUS with a First-Class Honors in Biomedical Engineering. He later headed to the University of California, Los Angeles for his PhD studies and graduated in 2017 as the recipient of the Harry M Showman Commencement Award. Andy next received his postdoctoral training at Stanford University before heading to Imperial College London as an 1851 Royal Commission Brunel Research Fellow. He is currently a Presidential Young Professor in NUS. Andy is a recipient of international awards including the Christopher Hewitt Outstanding Young Investigator Award, Terasaki Young Innovator Award and Micro and Nano Engineering Young Investigator Award. He is listed as a Forbes 30 Under 30 (US/Canada, Science), World Economic Forum Young Scientist and Top 2% Scientist in the World by Stanford University.