Dr. Shanfeng Wang
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Akron: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Polymer Physics and Rheology.
Brief Bio
Dr. Wang earned his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Polymer Science and Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology (Shanghai, China) in 1997 and 2000, respectively. His research projects in China focused on synthesis and photophysical properties of novel conjugated rigid-rod polymers. Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, Ohio in December 2003. His Ph.D. dissertation research included chain dynamics of binary polymer blends using rheological and pulsed gradient NMR methods. In 2004, Dr. Wang joined Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) as a Research Fellow where he developed a series of novel crosslinkable and degradable polymeric systems for bone and nerve regenerations, and investigated the interaction between cells or tissues and 2D polymer substrates or 3D scaffolds. In 2007 Dr. Wang joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee and his research interests include polymer physics and rheology, biomaterials and tissue engineering. Dr. Wang has authored or co-authored over 30 research papers (2 book chapters and 2 review articles) and has contributed to over 50 research presentations at national and international conferences.
Research Areas
• Rational design, synthesis, physical properties, and processing of polymeric biomaterials for various tissue engineering applications;
• Smart biomaterials such as shape memory polymers, biomimetic or bionic polymer/nanocomposite systems for medical applications;
• Fabrications of biodegradable scaffolds and microfluidics, and effects of material properties and scaffold features on in vitro cell responses and in vivo tissue growth;
• Cancer therapy and gene therapy based on polymeric nanoparticle carriers.
Selected Awards and Honors
2008 Guest Professorship, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai, China
2006 Gordon Research Conference Travel Award, New London, CT
2002 Outstanding Thesis Award, ECUST, Shanghai, China
2000 Dow Fellowship Sponsored by Dow Chemical Co., ECUST, Shanghai, China
Professional Activities
Society of Rheology (SoR), Member since 2001;
American Physical Society (APS), Member since 2002;
American Chemical Society (ACS), Member since 2003;
Materials Research Society (MRS), Member since 2006;
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Member since 2006, Senior member since 2008;
Sigma Xi Society, Full member since 2007.
Selected Publications
Wang, S.; Kempen, D. H.; Simha, N. K.; Lewis, J. A.; Windebank, A. J.; Yaszemski, M. J. Lu, L. "Photo-crosslinked Hybrid Polymer Networks Consisting of Poly(propylene fumarate) and Poly(caprolactone fumarate): Controlled Physical Properties and Regulated Bone and Nerve Cell Responses" Biomacromolecules 2008, 9, 1229-41.
Wang, S.; Lu, L.; Yaszemski, M. J. “Bone-tissue-engineering Material Poly(propylene fumarate): Correlation between Molecular Weight, Chain Dimensions, and Physical Properties” Biomacromolecules 2006, 7, 1976-82.
Wang, S.; Lu, L.; Gruetzmacher, J. A.; Currier, B. L.; Yaszemski, M. J. “Synthesis and Characterizations of Biodegradable and Photo-crosslinkable Poly(e-caprolactone fumarate), Poly(ethylene glycol fumarate) and Their Amphiphilic Copolymer” Biomaterials 2006, 27, 832-41.
Wang, S.; Lu, L.; Gruetzmacher, J. A.; Currier, B. L.; Yaszemski, M. J. “A Biodegradable and Crosslinkable Multiblock Copolymer Consisting of Poly(propylene fumarate) and Poly(e-caprolactone): Synthesis, Characterization, and Physical Properties” Macromolecules 2005, 38, 7358-70.
Wang, S.; Elkasabi, Y.; Wang, S.-Q. "A Rheological Study of Chain Dynamics in Dilute Binary Polymer Mixtures" Macromolecules 2005, 38, 125-33.
Wang, S.; von Meerwall, E. D.; Wang, S.-Q.; Halasa A.; Hsu, W.-L.; Zhou, J. P.; Quirk, R. P. “Diffusion and Rheology of Binary Polymer Mixtures.” Macromolecules 2004, 37, 1641-51.
Wang, S.; Wang, S.-Q.; Halasa, A.; Hsu, W.-L. “Reptation Dynamics in Mixtures of Long and Short Chains: Tube Dilation and Impeded Curvilinear Diffusion,” Macromolecules 2003, 36, 5355-71.
Selected Patents
Wang, S.; Yaszemski, M. J.; Lu, L.; Currier, B. L. “Block Copolymer of Polycaprolactone and Poly(propylene fumarate)” International Publication Number: WO/2006/055940, International Application Number: PCT/US2005/042240.
Wang, S.; Lu, L.; Yaszemski, M. J. “Photocrosslinkable Poly(e-caprolactone fumarate)” International Publication Number: WO/2006/053031, International Application Number: PCT/US2005/40571.
Wang, S.; Lu, L.; Yaszemski, M. J. “Hydrophilic/hydrophobic Hybrid Polymer Networks Based on Poly(caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF), Poly(ethylene glycol fumarate) (PEGF), and PEGF-co-PCLF” International Publication Number: WO/2006/118987, International Application Number: PCT/US2006/016156.
Contact Dr. Wang
306D Dougherty Engineering Bldg.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-2200
Tel: (865) 974-7809
Email: swang16@utk.edu