FAN YUAN
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Contact Information
258 Engineering Annex
919-660-5411 phone
919-684-4488 fax
fyuan@duke.edu

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Education

	PhD	"Models for receptor-mediated LDL metabolism and arterial macromolecular transport," Bioengineering, The City University of New York, 1990
	MS	Biomechanics, Beijing University (Beijing, P.R. China), 1985
	BS	Mechanics, Beijing University (Beijing, P.R. China), 1983

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Experience

	1996-present	Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC.
	1995-1996	Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
	1992-1994	Instructor, Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
	1991-1996	Assistant in Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
	1990-1991	Post-Doctoral Fellow, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
	1988-1989	Adjunct Lecturer, The City University of New York, New York, NY.
	1986-1990	Research Assistant, The City University of New York, New York, NY

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Selected Publications

1. Krol, A., Maresca, J., Dewhirst, M.W., and Yuan, F., "Available volume fraction of macromolecules in the extravascular space of a fibrosarcoma: Implications for drug delivery." Cancer Research, 59: 4136-4141, 1999.
2. Zhang, X.-Y., Luck, J., Dewhirst, M.W., and Yuan, F., “Interstitial hydraulic conductivity in a fibrosarcoma.” American Journal of Physiology, 279: H2726-H2734, 2000.
3. Sheng, T. and Yuan, F., “Numerical simulations of angiogenesis in the cornea.” Microvascular Research, 61: 14-27, 2001.
4. McGuire, S. and Yuan, F., “A new technique for quantitative analysis of intratumoral infusion of color molecules.” American Journal of Physiology, 281: H715-H721, 2001.
5. Yuan, F., Krol, A., and Tong, S. “Available space and extracellular transport of macromolecules: Effects of pore size and connectedness,” Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 29: 1150-1158, 2001.
   

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Honors and Awards

	2000	CAREER Award, National Science Foundation.
	1996	Career Development Award, SPORE in Breast Cancer, Duke University, Durham, NC.
	1994	IPM Innovative Instrumentation Award, The Microcirculatory Society, Anaheim, CA.
	1993	IPM Innovative Instrumentation Award, The Microcirculatory Society, New Orleans, LA.
	1987	Port of Entry Scholarship Award, Port of Entry Program, New York, NY.
	1982	Excellent Student Award, Beijing University, Beijing, P.R. China.
	1980	Excellent Student Award, Beijing University, Beijing, P.R. China.

 

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Recent Collaborators

Dewhirst, M.W., McDonnell, D.P., Li, C.Y., David L. Epstein, Barr, R.

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Current Advisees

David Zaharoff; Sarah McGuire; Sheng Tong; Yong Wang; Cheng-Wen Lin; and Qing Chen.

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Research Support

Dr. Yuan is PI on 4 active grants: DOD (BC980191); NSF (BES9984062); Whitaker Foundation (97-0062); and NSF (ID# pending)

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Short Research Interest Descriptor

Drug and gene delivery in tumor and normal tissues, tumor microcirculation, angiogenesis, and transport analysis of molecules in biological tissues.

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Research Interest

We are interested in interstitial transport of macromolecules in the eye and tumor tissues. The goal of our research is to improve drug and gene delivery. One of the major problems in both systemic and local delivery of large therapeutic agents is the interstitial transport. The problem is attributed to various physiological barriers in these tissues. They may significantly hinder interstitial penetration of drugs and genes, limit the accessibility of these therapeutic agents to intracellular targets, and thus reduce the efficacy of molecular medicines in treating cancer different eye diseases. Drug and gene delivery in the interstitial space is governed by driving forces and transport parameters such as the diffusion coefficient, the hydraulic conductivity, the retardation coefficient, and the available volume fraction. These parameters depend on physicochemical properties of drugs and genes (e.g., size, charge, and configuration) as well as structures of tumor tissues. We are interested in quantitative analysis of interstitial transport of macromolecules in normal and tumor tissues as well as physical and chemical interventions of the interstitial transport for improving drug and gene delivery. In addition, we are interested in mechanisms of morphogenesis of microvascular networks in biological tissues, which is important in understanding angiogenic process. Angiogenesis plays an important role in embryonic development, wound healing, tumor growth, and various vascular diseases. Angiogenesis needs to be either inhibited or stimulated in a controlled manner, depending on the requirements in disease treatment. Angiogenesis is a complicated process. It involves angiogenic factors, inhibitors, and regulators released by different cells (e.g., tumor cells and macrophages). These molecules interact with endothelial and mesenchymal cells as well as extracellular matrix in tissues. Multiple interactions may happen simultaneously. These interactions must be coordinated in a specific manner in order to form a vascular network. We are interested in molecular mechanisms of morphogenesis of vascular networks during angiogenesis. Our study is based on both experimental studies and numerical simulations. In addition, we are interested in how different angiogenic factors, inhibitors, and regulators affect the structures of vascular networks.

Current research projects in our lab include: (a) Mechanisms of molecular transport in porous materials; (b) Intratumoral infusion of drugs and genes; (c) Electric field-mediated gene delivery; (d) Delivery of temperature sensitive liposomes; (e) Transport of drugs through the cornea and the sclera; (f) Morphogenesis of microvascular networks during angiogenesis

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