Biointerfaces and biomaterials design

By merging mechanics, chemistry and biology, I invent and design biointerfacing (hybrid) materials with tunable mechanical, structural, chemical, electrical, biological, acoustic, optical properties, and high-level control of their biointeractions on diverse biological tissues. 

Representative work: 

Ma et al, Science (2022) 

Ma et al, Advanced Materials (2022)

Ma et al, Advanced Functional Materials (2024)

Ma*, Gao* et al, Biomaterials Science (2024)

Medical device engineering and functionalization

I develope robust and versatile strategies to engineer multifunctional medical devices for customizable disease management, including but not limited to infection prevention, wound monitoring, controlled drug delivery, immunomodulation, and bioimaging.

Representative work: 

Ma et al, Science Advances (2021) 

Ma et al, Advanced Healthcare Materials (2025) 

Ma et al, Advanced Materials Technologies (2024)

Mechanobiology, biomechanics and mechanotherapy

I reveal and manipulate the mechanobiological regulation of tissue function during disease and development using biofabricated biomimetic disease models and biointerfacing devices. 

Representative work: 

Ma et al, ACS applied materials & interfaces (2019)

Ma et al, Scientific Reports (2020)

Ma et al, Matter (2024)

Interfacial mechanics of biological and synthetic materials

By leveraging both experiment and theory, I decipher the interfacial mechanics of diverse biological and synthetic materials to inform the design of next-generation hybrid living materials and surgical instruments.

Ma*, Bacca* et al, Soft Matter (2024)

Yang, Ma et al, Mechanics of Materials (2021)

Ma et al, Science (2022)