Dr. Shang Song

Dr. Shang Song and her team at the University of Arizona deploy novel engineering approaches and biomaterials that can manipulate cellular microenvironment. This facilitates the development of new regenerative medicine and organ-on-chip systems. Her past projects include implantable bioartificial pancreas to treat Type 1 Diabetes, electrically-stimulated stem cell therapy for stroke and peripheral nerve injury recovery, bone tissue engineering, and drug delivery via nano-vechicles. 

Dr. Song completed her PhD from University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), advised by Dr. Shuvo Roy, Dr. Qizhi Tang, and Dr. Tejal Desai. Her graduate work focused on the development of bioartificial organs and study of interaction between stem cells and biomaterials with engineering and molecular techniques. She received her postdoctoral training on neural repair and neuromuscular recovery techniques through electrical stimulation on stem cell functions under Dr. Paul George and Dr. Thomas Rando at Stanford University. 

Dr. Song obtained her BS with honors in biomedical engineering from Brown University with support of the Gates Millennium Scholarship. She grew up with her Chinese immigrant parents in the public school system of Guam (US) next to the American military bases. She’s passionate about helping first-generation college students and students from underprivileged backgrounds.

Selected Awards

• 2024 Arizona Biomedical Research Centre- New Investigator Award (ABRC-NIA)
• 2024 American Heart Association- Career Development Award (AHA-CDA)
• 2020 Columbia University- Rising Star in Engineering in Health 
• 2019 National Institute of Health- Ruth L. Kirschstein Research Service Awards (NIH NRSA F32)
• 2018 MIT & Johns Hopkins University- Rising Star in Biomedical 
• 2018 Stanford University- Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2016 Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30
• 2016 Baxter- Young Investigator’s Award 1st Tier 
• 2015 Foundation Capital- Founder’s Program Finalist
• 2010 National Science Foundation- Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP)

• 2006 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation- Gates Millennium Scholar