Assistant Professor
Department of Orthopedics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Brief Bio (Past Education, Research Positions, Etc.):
I planned my career in the automotive industry after receiving my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and automation and completing an internship in a construction machinery company. However, I happened to work on an orthopedic project for my master program, which helped figure out my interest. Therefore, I started my journey of musculoskeletal research as a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, with a focus on tendon biomechanics. I was more intrigued by mechanobiology and continued postdoctoral training at Columbia University.
Who have been your mentors?
Dr. Spencer Lake is my formal PhD advisor and Dr. Stavro Thomopoulos is my postdoctoral mentor. The unlimited and unconditional support from phenomenal and visionary mentors encourages me to continue orthopedic research. Additionally, I also received wonderful mentorship from a lot of investigators within and outside of the orthopedic field, especially Drs. Leesa Galatz (Mount Sinai), James Iatridis (Mount Sinai), Brian Dynlacht (NYU), Sarah Millar (Mount Sinai), Marek Mlodzik (Mount Sinai), Alice Huang (Columbia), Nadeen Chahine (Columbia), Kam Leong (Columbia), Philip Bayly (Washu), Simon Tang (WashU), and Guy Genin (WashU).
What are your specific research areas and expertise?
The overarching goal of our lab is to identify regenerative cues of the tendon-to-bone attachment (enthesis) and tendon through better understanding of mechanobiology and stem cell biology.
What are you currently working on?
Our projects are mainly driven by the interest of the students in the lab and cover development biology, pathogenesis, and treatment of tendon and enthesis. We are currently working on stem cell function in tendon tissues, stem cell-based therapies, and human enthesis development.
What has been the biggest challenge for you in your research?
Balance between staying focused and branching out to have a growing and sustainable program is a big challenge for me. This is reflected by how much covered in grant applications, how many projects conducted in the lab, and how projects prioritized financially. I have been very fortunate to have a faculty committee and other supportive mentors, who always give critical feedback to help me reorient projects in the lab.
What project(s) are you looking forward to in the near future?
We have several projects centered on stem cells in tendon/enthesis tissues, including stem cell function during aging, stem cell environment, and engineering stem cells for treatment. We are very excited to tie them together and push toward translational application.
What do you want to do next in your career?
I am very interested in cutting-edge molecular and biological technologies and excited to apply them for our research. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to expand/switch research topics by leveraging these technologies.
What advice would you give young investigators in the field?
I put too much unnecessary stresses on myself during the graduate and postdoctoral periods. I would like to give the advice that “enjoy the moment and shake off stress.” Even though we have big goals and milestones to achieve at different stages, we are working in a supportive environment with wonderful mentors and enriched resources to help with individual career plans, research progress, and anything else that we can come up with. Furthermore, we are trained to identify and solve problems and we should be confident to thrive/grow without excessive anxiety.
When you’re not in the lab, what do you like to do for fun?
I spend most of my spare time with my son and family doing outdoor activities. For myself, I enjoy climbing, yoga, knitting, and reading.
What resources would you like to see available from the ORS Tendon Section?
The ORS Tendon Section has grown significantly, spearheaded by amazing tendon leaders. We will have more and more young, junior scientists who would like to continue tendon research and become independent. It would be helpful for the Tendon Section to provide opportunities for them to be more visible and for us to be updated with their inspiring work.
How can we follow you?
Lab Website
Twitter (X) @Fei_FeiFang
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