{"id":1008,"date":"2026-08-03T11:30:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T15:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/bme\/?p=1008"},"modified":"2026-08-07T10:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T14:31:09","slug":"bme-welcomes-new-faculty-to-growing-department","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/bme\/news\/bme-welcomes-new-faculty-to-growing-department\/","title":{"rendered":"BME Welcomes New Faculty to Growing Department"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Three new faculty members are joining the Department of Biomedical Engineering\u00a0in\u00a0the fall 2026 semester,\u00a0bringing\u00a0new\u00a0expertise\u00a0in bioimaging, biomaterials, and biomechanics.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caigang Zhu, Lauren Pruett,\u00a0and\u00a0Weiyi Qian\u00a0will contribute significantly to teaching and graduate education within the department. They\u00a0are all\u00a0doing high-level research with real-world applications that will have positive impacts on society.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are thrilled to welcome three outstanding new colleagues to our young department. Drs. Pruett, Qian, and Zhu bring exceptional\u00a0expertise, innovative ideas, and a passion for\u00a0discovery,\u201d said BME Department Head\u00a0Dacheng\u00a0Ren. \u201cThey will strengthen our research and educational missions while helping prepare the next generation of biomedical engineers to address complex challenges. I look forward to the many contributions they will make to our biomedical engineering community.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caigang Zhu<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Associate Professor <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Zhu\u202fjoins UT\u202ffrom the University of Kentucky, where he spent five years as an assistant professor and two years as an associate professor.\u202fZhu earned his bachelor\u2019s degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, and his PhD degree\u202ffrom Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, both in\u202fbiomedical\u202fengineering.\u202f\u202fHe then received his postdoctraining at Duke University.\u202fHis\u202fcurrent\u202fresearch is\u202fmotivated by multidisciplinary applications of novel optical techniques in cancer research. The central focus of the group\u2019s research is to develop optical\u202fspectroscopy and\u202fimaging tools for biomedical applications related to tumor metabolism, hypoxia, and angiogenesis. The research interests of his lab include vascular and metabolic\u202fimaging\/spectroscopic techniques for studies of cancer biology and radiation\u202ftherapeutics\u202fstudy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to join UT\u2019s\u202fBME\u202fdepartment,\u202fwhich has a lot of potential and opportunities to grow in the future.\u202fI look forward to advancing research in\u202fbiomedical optics and cancer therapeutics,\u202fwhile\u202fcontributing to the education and success of our students\u202fat UT.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauren Pruett<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Assistant Professor <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Pruett\u202fjoins UT after completing her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Center for Gynepathology Research. She completed her PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia as an NIH F31 and NSF GRFP fellowship recipient.\u202fHer research focuses on the development of tissue-engineered models that replicate key features of human disease.\u202fBy integrating synthetic hydrogels, microfluidics, and quantitative approaches, her lab will create vascularized models centered on women’s health applications, with broad applicability for investigating other vascular and inflammatory disorders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I\u2019m excited to join the new biomedical engineering department at UT and help establish tissue engineering as a new research strength. I look forward to developing collaborations with clinical impact, particularly in women’s health, and mentoring and educating the next generation of scientists and engineers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weiyi Qian<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Assistant Professor <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Qian joins the department after his postdoctoral training in developmental and cell biology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. He won an NIH K99\/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, which helps postdoctoral researchers complete mentored training and transition to independent faculty positions. Qian obtained his bachelor’s degree in materials physics from Wuhan University and completed his PhD in mechanical engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. His research has been at the interface of biology and engineering, focusing on understanding how mechanical and chemical signals work together to direct cells\u2019 behaviors during normal development and disease progression. At UT, he will be using Danio rerio (zebrafish) as a model system and deploying a multi-disciplinary toolbox, including genetics, molecular biology, and biophysics, to understand the cellular, molecular, and physical mechanisms of how living tissues build functional sensory organs and the brain during embryonic development. This knowledge will help to understand what goes wrong in diseases, such as congenital birth defects, and develop therapeutic strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI look forward to working with the students and faculty at UT to push the limits of our understanding of embryonic development at the interface of biology and mechanics. I see exciting opportunities to tackle the challenges in this research field by bridging different disciplines across UT.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Caigang](\"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/bme\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/Zhu-Caigang-1024x922.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/bme\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/Pruett-Lauren-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Weiyi](\"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/bme\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/Qian-Weiyi-1024x1024.jpg\")
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