Chu, Chih-Chang

Rebecca Q. Morgan '60 Professor

Positions

Professor, Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD), College of Human Ecology (CHE)

Dr. C.C. Chu joined the Cornell faculty in 1978 after completing postdoctoral research on biomaterials for maxillofacial prostheses at the Medical Center of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He had held visiting appointments in the Department of Dental Science at University of Liverpool in the UK, at the National Yang-Ming Medical College in Taiwan, at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and in the Division of Mechanics and Materials Science, Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He has served on the editorial boards of The Open Macromolecules Journal, The Open Material Science Journal, The Open Biomaterials Journal, J. Fiber Bioengineering and Informatics, and J. Bioengineering and Biomedical Sci. He also served on the board of directors for the Society of Plastic Engineers (medical plastics division) and was on the editorial board of the Journal of Investigative Surgery. Dr. Chu is also the member of the Biology/Medicine Panel of Hong Kong Grant Research Council. Dr. Chu earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Tamkang University and a Ph.D. in polymer science from Florida State University.

Dr. Chu focuses on the study of biomaterials, particularly the design and synthesis of novel biodegradable polymers/fibers/fabrics for tissue regeneration and repair including vascular grafts, wound closure and drug control/release purposes. This also includes the design and evaluation of novel biologic active biodegradable polymers for surgical repair of injured, diseased or aged tissues, and their impact on wound infection and healing. In basis research, Dr. Chu’s interests include the mechanisms of degradation of biomaterials, theoretical understanding of the effects of chemical structure on degradation through supercomputer molecular modeling, and exploring both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could affect the degradation properties, such as the role of free radicals in degradation of biomaterials. His research activities also include the synthesis of new biodegradable polymers for immunotherapy of cancer patients, biomaterials for reducing restenosis of vascular stents, novel substrates for cell preservation and tissue engineering, biodegradable vascular grafts, functional wound closure biomaterials for eliminating wound infection during surgery and composite bone cement for orthopaedic surgery.

Dr. Chu has published over 165 research papers, a recipient of 63 US and international patents with many pending, an author and editor of the book “Wound Closure Biomaterials and Devices”. One of Chu’s new inventions 'Biodegradable, Bioactive, & Programable Hydrogels ' was chosen as a semifinalist for Discover Columbus Foundation Award competition. Dr. Chu has experience working with industry and medical professions to bring his new inventions in biomaterials to clinical reality. Dr. Chu teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses. One course, “Biomaterials and Medical Devices for Human Body Repair”, nicknamed “Human Spare Parts”, is co-listed with the bioengineering curriculum, and has drawn students from all colleges at Cornell.

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research overview

Biologically active bioabsorbable polymers and fibers: The goal is to design and synthesis of amino acid based biodegradable poly(ester amide)s that could have many different types of reactive sites for chemical conjugation with biologically active agents. These new PEAs can also be fabricated via electrospinning into nanofibers or photocrosslinking into 3D microporous hydrogels. These nanofibrous membranes and hydrogels will be inherent chemical functional groups for chemical attachment or pre-loading of biological agents for treating a variety of diseases.

Durg- or biologics-impregnated hydrogels for a vareity of clinical use: The goal is to design biodegradable hydrogels that can be fabricated in an aqueous medium and can carry biologics or drugs for their sustained release to treat a variety of diseases. One particular project involves the delivery of growth factors like bFGF for improved skin regneration of burn victims, and is collaborated with Prof. M. S. Jin of Dept. of Biomedical Engineering and Profs. R. Yurt/S. Schwartz of Weill Cornell Medical College.

Therapeutic biodegradable biomaterials for wound management of burn victims: The goal is to promote wound healing of burn victims by fabricating our new pseudo-amino acids into microfiber-based medical devices as artificial skins that would have the capability to release biological agents and would also have elastomeric mechanical property. This project is collaborated with Prof. Roger Yurt and Suzanne Schwartz of Cornell Burn Center and is funded by Cornell University.

Biodegradable carriers for Gene and DNA: The goal is to design and develop new synthetic carriers that could improve gene transfection efficiency with better cellular biocompatibility. This work is collaborated with Prof. Bo Liu and Craig Kent of Division of Vascular Surgery of Dept. of Surgery of Weill Cornell Medical College and is supported by a seed grant from Cornell University.

Biodegradable polysaccharide-based biomaterials for bone engineering and as synthetic extracellular matrix: The goal is to design and develop a novel class of anionic biodegradable scaffold biomaterials that could provide bone biomineralization for engineering new bones for repair bones. This project is collaborated with the Hospital for Special Surgery, an afflilated of Weill Cornell Medical College.

Biodegradable scaffold for heart valve tissue engineering: This project is to use multidisciplinary approach to develop biodegradable and blood biocompatable scaffold via 3D bioprinting process so that heart value leaflets could be regenerated. The project involves Prof. J. Butcher of Dept. of Biomedical Engineering and Prof. Leo Girardi of Weill Cornell Medical College.

Biodegradable nanospheres for diagnostic and therpeutic of cancers: The goal is to design and develop biodegradable nanospheres that can be selectively uptaken by tumor cells for both diagnostic and therapeutic purpose. The project is collaborated with Prof. Rasa Zarengar of Weill Cornell Medical College.

Effect of supercritical CO₂ sterilization on synthetic absorbable biomaterials, a project via the collaboration with a local company, NovaSterilis.

Cationic biodegradable polymers for treating prostate cancer, a project via the cillaboration with Cornell Medical College.