• BS, Bioengineering, Zhejiang University, 2006
• Ph D, Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2012

Journal Articles

A R Howells, P J Welch, J Kim, C R Forest, C Shi and Xiaojun Lian, 2023, "A drug-selectable acoustic reporter gene system for human cell ultrasound imaging.", Bioengineering & translational medicine, 9, (2), pp. e10584

Rivka Nouri, Y Jiang, A J Politza, T Liu, Wallace H Greene, Y Zhu, Jonathan Nunez, Xiaojun Lian and Weihua Guan, 2023, "STAMP-Based Digital CRISPR-Cas13a for Amplification-Free Quantification of HIV-1 Plasma Viral Loads.", ACS nano, 17, (11), pp. 10701-10712

J D Harris, Yichin Chang, R Syahirah, Xiaojun Lian, Q Deng and X Bao, 2023, "Engineered anti-prostate cancer CAR-neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells.", Journal of immunology and regenerative medicine, 20

Y Chang, X Cai, R Syahirah, Y Yao, Y Xu, G Jin, V J Bhute, S Torregrosa-Allen, B D Elzey, Y Y Won, Q Deng, Xiaojun Lian, X Wang, O Eniola-Adefeso and X Bao, 2023, "CAR-neutrophil mediated delivery of tumor-microenvironment responsive nanodrugs for glioblastoma chemo-immunotherapy.", Nature Communications, 14, (1), pp. 2266

Yichin Chang, G Jin, Wenbin Luo, Q Luo, J Jung, S N Hummel, S Torregrosa-Allen, B D Elzey, P S Low, Xiaojun Lian and X Bao, 2023, "Engineered human pluripotent stem cell-derived natural killer cells with PD-L1 responsive immunological memory for enhanced immunotherapeutic efficacy.", Bioactive materials, 27, pp. 168-180

J Jung, Yichin Chang, G Jin, Q Deng, Xiaojun Lian and X Bao, 2022, "Chemically defined generation of human definitive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.", STAR protocols, 4, (1), pp. 101953

P Y Liang, Yichin Chang, G Jin, Xiaojun Lian and X Bao, 2022, "Wnt signaling directs human pluripotent stem cells into vascularized cardiac organoids with chamber-like structures.", Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 10, pp. 1059243

O Wang, L Han, Hangsheng Lin, Mingliang Tian, Sulin Zhang, B Duan, S Chung, C Zhang, Xiaojun Lian, Yong Wang and Yuguo Lei, 2022, "Fabricating 3-dimensional human brown adipose microtissues for transplantation studies.", Bioactive materials, 22, pp. 518-534

T Haideri, A Howells, Y Jiang, Jian Yang, X Bao and Xiaojun Lian, 2022, "Robust genome editing via modRNA-based Cas9 or base editor in human pluripotent stem cells.", Cell Reports Methods, 2, (9), pp. 100290

Yichin Chang, R Syahirah, X Wang, G Jin, S Torregrosa-Allen, B D Elzey, S N Hummel, T Wang, C Li, Xiaojun Lian, Q Deng, H E Broxmeyer and X Bao, 2022, "Engineering chimeric antigen receptor neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells for targeted cancer immunotherapy.", Cell reports, 40, (3), pp. 111128

J Jung, Yichin Chang, G Jin, Xiaojun Lian and X Bao, 2022, "Temporal Expression of Transcription Factor ID2 Improves Natural Killer Cell Differentiation from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.", ACS synthetic biology, 11, (6), pp. 2001-2008

Yichin Chang, R Syahirah, S N Oprescu, X Wang, J Jung, S H Cooper, S Torregrosa-Allen, B D Elzey, A Y Hsu, L N Randolph, Y Sun, S Kuang, H E Broxmeyer, Q Deng, Xiaojun Lian and X Bao, 2022, "Chemically-defined generation of human hemogenic endothelium and definitive hematopoietic progenitor cells.", Biomaterials, 285, pp. 121569

Y Jiang, R C Hoenisch, Yichin Chang, X Bao, Craig E Cameron and Xiaojun Lian, 2022, "Robust genome and RNA editing via CRISPR nucleases in PiggyBac systems.", Bioactive materials, 14, pp. 313-320

J Zhu, S Liu, Z Hu, X Zhang, N Yi, K Tang, M G Dexheimer, Xiaojun Lian, Q Wang, J Yang, J Gray and Huanyu Cheng, 2021, "Laser-induced graphene non-enzymatic glucose sensors for on-body measurements.", Biosensors & bioelectronics, 193, pp. 113606

Rivka Nouri, Y Jiang, Z Tang, Xiaojun Lian and Weihua Guan, 2021, "Detection of SARS-CoV-2 with Solid-State CRISPR-Cas12a-Assisted Nanopores.", Nano letters, 21, (19), pp. 8393-8400

Y Jiang, C Chen, L N Randolph, S Ye, X Zhang, X Bao and Xiaojun Lian, 2021, "Generation of pancreatic progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells by small molecules.", Stem cell reports, 16, (9), pp. 2395-2409

Peter Hellwarth and Xiaojun Lian, 2021, "Optogenetic-mediated cardiovascular differentiation and patterning of human pluripotent stem cells", Advanced Genetics, (2), pp. e202100011

Y Jiang, X Bao and Xiaojun Lian, 2021, "A dual cardiomyocyte reporter model derived from human pluripotent stem cells.", Stem cell research & therapy, 12, (1), pp. 305

Reza Nouri, Yuqian Jiang, Xiaojun Lian and Weihua Guan, 2020, "Sequence-Specific Recognition of HIV-1 DNA with Solid-State CRISPR-Cas12a-Assisted Nanopores (SCAN).", ACS sensors, 5, (5), pp. 1273-1280

N Zhao, J Coyne, L Abune, P Shi, Xiaojun Lian, Ge Zhang and Yong Wang, 2020, "Exogenous Signaling Molecules Released from Aptamer-Functionalized Hydrogels Promote the Survival of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Spheroids.", ACS applied materials & interfaces

G B Kim, V Aragon-Sanabria, Lauren Randolph, H Jiang, J A Reynolds, B S Webb, Achuthamangalam Madhankumar, Xiaojun Lian, James R Connor, Jian Yang and Cheng Dong, 2020, "High-affinity mutant Interleukin-13 targeted CAR T cells enhance delivery of clickable biodegradable fluorescent nanoparticles to glioblastoma.", Bioactive materials, 5, (3), pp. 624-635

Y Chang, P B Hellwarth, Lauren N Randolph, Yufei Sun, Y Xing, Wuqiang Zhu, Xiaojun Lian and Xiaoping Bao, 2020, "Fluorescent indicators for continuous and lineage-specific reporting of cell-cycle phases in human pluripotent stem cells.", Biotechnology and bioengineering

Yuqian Jiang and Xiaojun Lian, 2020, "Heart regeneration with human pluripotent stem cells: Prospects and challenges.", Bioactive materials, 5, (1), pp. 74-81

Lauren N Randolph, Xiaoping Bao, Michael Oddo and Xiaojun Lian, 2019, "Sex-dependent VEGF expression underlies variations in human pluripotent stem cell to endothelial progenitor differentiation.", Scientific reports, 9, (1), pp. 16696

Lauren Randolph and Xiaojun Lian, 2019, "Beyond Purple Hearts: A Colorful Approach to Isolate Distinct Heart Cells from Human iPSCs.", Cell Stem Cell

Lauren Nicole Randolph, Agamoni Bhattacharyya and Xiaojun Lance Lian, 2019, "Human Beta Cells Generated from Pluripotent Stem Cells or Cellular Reprogramming for Curing Diabetes", Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine

Yuqian Jiang, Yuxiao Zhou, Xiaoping Bao, Chuanxin Chen, Lauren Randolph, Jing Du and Xiaojun Lance Lian, 2018, "An ultrasensitive calcium reporter system via CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells", iScience

Kylie Foo, Miia Lehtinen, Chuen Yan Leung, Xiaojun Lian, Jiejia Xu, Wendy Keung, Lin Geng, Terje Kolstad, Sebastian Thams, Andy Wong, Nicodemus Wong, Kristine Bylund, Chikai Zhou, Xiaobing He, Shao-Bo Jin, Jonathan Clarke, Urban Lendahl, Ronald Li, William Louch and Kenneth Chien, 2018, "Human ISL1+ Ventricular Progenitors Self-Assemble into an In Vivo Functional Heart Patch and Preserve Cardiac Function After Infarction", Molecular Therapy, 26, (7), pp. 1644-1659

Lauren Randolph, Yuqian Jiang and Xiaojun Lian, 2017, "Stem Cell Engineering and Differentiation for Disease Modeling and Cell-based Therapies", AIMS Cell and Tissue Engineering, 1, (2), pp. 140-157

Xiaoping Bao, Xiaojun Lian, T Qian, V J Bhute, T Han and Sean P Palecek, 2017, "Directed differentiation and long-term maintenance of epicardial cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells under fully defined conditions.", Nature protocols, 12, (9), pp. 1890-1900

X Bao, V J Bhute, T Han, T Qian, Xiaojun Lian and S P Palecek, 2017, "Human pluripotent stem cell-derived epicardial progenitors can differentiate to endocardial-like endothelial cells.", Bioengineering & translational medicine, 2, (2), pp. 191-201

Lauren N Randolph, X Bao, Chikai Zhou and Xiaojun Lian, 2017, "An all-in-one, Tet-On 3G inducible PiggyBac system for human pluripotent stem cells and derivatives", Scientific Reports, 7, (1), pp. 1549

Xiaoping Bao, Xiaojun Lian, T Hacker, E Schmuck, T Qian, V Bhute, T Han, M Shi, L Drowley, A Plowright, Q Wang, M Goumans and S Palecek, 2016, "Long-term self-renewing human epicardial cells generated from pluripotent stem cells under defined xeno-free conditions", Nature Biomedical Engineering, 1, pp. 0003

Xiaojun Lian, Jiejia Xu, Xiaoping Bao and Lauren Randolph, 2016, "Interrogating Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate Decisions Using CRISPR-Cas9", Cellular and molecular bioengineering, 9, (3), pp. 325–334

E B Braune, Y L Tsoi, Y P Phoon, S Landor, H Silva Cascales, D Ramsköld, Q Deng, A Lindqvist, Xiaojun Lian, C Sahlgren, S B Jin and U Lendahl, 2016, "Loss of CSL Unlocks a Hypoxic Response and Enhanced Tumor Growth Potential in Breast Cancer Cells.", Stem Cell Reports, 6, (5), pp. 643-651

B S Soh, S Y Ng, H Wu, K Buac, J H Park, Xiaojun Lian, J Xu, K S Foo, U Felldin, X He, M Nichane, H Yang, L Bu, R A Li, B Lim and K R Chien, 2016, "Endothelin-1 supports clonal derivation and expansion of cardiovascular progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells.", Nature communications, 7, pp. 10774

C Hsiao, M Lampe, S Nillasithanukroh, W Han, Xiaojun Lian and S P Palecek, 2016, "Human pluripotent stem cell culture density modulates YAP signaling.", Biotechnology Journal, 11, (5), pp. 662-75

X Bao, Xiaojun Lian, K K Dunn, M Shi, T Han, T Qian, V J Bhute, S G Canfield and S P Palecek, 2015, "Chemically-defined albumin-free differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to endothelial progenitor cells.", Stem cell research, 15, (1), pp. 122-9

Xiaojun Lian, X Bao, M Zilberter, M Westman, A Fisahn, C Hsiao, L B Hazeltine, K K Dunn, T J Kamp and S P Palecek, 2015, "Chemically defined, albumin-free human cardiomyocyte generation.", Nature Methods, 12, (7), pp. 595-6

Xiaojun Lian, X Bao, A Al-Ahmad, J Liu, Y Wu, W Dong, K K Dunn, E V Shusta and S P Palecek, 2014, "Efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to endothelial progenitors via small-molecule activation of WNT signaling.", Stem Cell Reports, 3, (5), pp. 804-16

L B Hazeltine, M G Badur, Xiaojun Lian, A Das, W Han and S P Palecek, 2014, "Temporal impact of substrate mechanics on differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to cardiomyocytes.", Acta biomaterialia, 10, (2), pp. 604-12

Xiaojun Lian and K R Chien, 2013, "The years of the monkey.", Cell research, 23, (10), pp. 1161-2

Xiaojun Lian, J Zhang, K Zhu, T J Kamp and S P Palecek, 2013, "Insulin inhibits cardiac mesoderm, not mesendoderm, formation during cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells and modulation of canonical Wnt signaling can rescue this inhibition.", Stem cells, 31, (3), pp. 447-57

Xiaojun Lian, J Selekman, X Bao, C Hsiao, K Zhu and S P Palecek, 2013, "A small molecule inhibitor of SRC family kinases promotes simple epithelial differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells.", PLOS ONE, 8, (3), pp. e60016

Xiaojun Lian, J Zhang, S M Azarin, K Zhu, L B Hazeltine, X Bao, C Hsiao, T J Kamp and S P Palecek, 2013, "Directed cardiomyocyte differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells by modulating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling under fully defined conditions.", Nature protocols, 8, (1), pp. 162-75

J Zhang, M Klos, G F Wilson, A M Herman, Xiaojun Lian, K K Raval, M R Barron, L Hou, A G Soerens, J Yu, S P Palecek, G E Lyons, J A Thomson, T J Herron, J Jalife and T J Kamp, 2012, "Extracellular matrix promotes highly efficient cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells: the matrix sandwich method", Circulation research, 111, (9), pp. 1125-36

Xiaojun Lian, C Hsiao, G Wilson, K Zhu, L B Hazeltine, S M Azarin, K K Raval, J Zhang, T J Kamp and S P Palecek, 2012, "Robust cardiomyocyte differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells via temporal modulation of canonical Wnt signaling", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, (27), pp. E1848-57

G Ghosh, Xiaojun Lian, S J Kron and S P Palecek, 2012, "Properties of resistant cells generated from lung cancer cell lines treated with EGFR inhibitors.", BMC cancer, 12, pp. 95

S M Azarin, Xiaojun Lian, E A Larson, H M Popelka, J J de Pablo and S P Palecek, 2012, "Modulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in human embryonic stem cells using a 3-D microwell array.", Biomaterials, 33, (7), pp. 2041-9

L B Hazeltine, C S Simmons, M R Salick, Xiaojun Lian, M G Badur, W Han, S M Delgado, T Wakatsuki, W C Crone, B L Pruitt and S P Palecek, 2012, "Effects of substrate mechanics on contractility of cardiomyocytes generated from human pluripotent stem cells.", International journal of cell biology, 2012, pp. 508294

• January 2024 - December 2026, "DREAM Sentinels: Multiplexable and programmable cell-free ADAR-mediated RNA sensing platform (cfRADAR) for quick and scalable response to emergent viral threats," (Sponsor: National Science Foundation).

• July 2023 - June 2026, "2021F TSF Cure - Project 2 -Sonogenetics-augmented stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease," (Sponsor: COP: Department of Health).

• March 2020 - February 2025, "CAREER: Enhancing Stem Cell Differentiation with CRISPR Activators via Non-integrating Methods," (Sponsor: National Science Foundation).

• May 2023 - April 2025, "ModRNA-based Direct Programming of Universal Donor hiPSCs into Immune Evasive Beta Cells," (Sponsor: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases).

• June 2022 - May 2024, "An Enabling Technology for Human Cardiomyocyte Manufacturing," (Sponsor: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute).

• February 2023 - August 2024, "Sonogenetics-enabled spatial and temporal expression of transcription factors for direct programming of human stem cells," (Sponsor: Focused Ultrasound Foundation).

• May 2018 - February 2023, "Citrate Metabonegenic Regulation for the next Generation of Orthopedic Biomaterial Design," (Sponsor: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases).

• June 2020 - May 2022, "Contribution of IL-32 gene expression to viral persistence," (Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).

• June 2018 - February 2022, "StemcellimmunoengineeringforuniversalcardiactherapyviaCRISPR-Cas9," (Sponsor: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering).

• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2020 - 2025

• Trailblazer Award from National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH, March 2018 - February 2021

• 2018 Junior Investigator Award of Advanced Biomanufacturing, Biomedical Engineering Society, June 2018

• 2017 Junior Investigator Award of Advanced Biomanufacturing, Biomedical Engineering Society, August 2017

• Young Innovator Award, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Journal/BMES, October 2016

• The Cozzarelli Prize of the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Science, May 2013

• Top Poster Prize & Best Poster Presentation, Society for Biological Engineering, 2012

• Ronald A. Ragatz Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2009

• Chu Kochen Scholarship, the highest academic award of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University, 2006

• Best Poster Award in 2022 Northeast Bioengineering Conference, Columbia University, April 2022

• Rising Star Award from Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering SIG, BMES, Biomedical Engineering Society, January 2020

Service to Penn State:

• Committee Work, Committee Member, CoE Sabbatical Review Committee, CoE Sabbatical Review Committee, April 2022 - June 2024

• Committee Work, Member, Committee member, BME Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, August 2022 - August 2025

• Committee Work, Committee member, BME Graduate Curriculum Committee, August 2022 - August 2025

• Committee Work, Member, Engineering Faculty Council member, Penn State, Engineering Faculty Council, May 2020

• Contributions to Programs to Enhance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Other, Interviewer, Interview candidates for Millennium Scholars Program, February 2019 - February 2019

• Other, Advisor, Perform mock graduate school interviews, MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS Program, October 2017 - October 2017

• Other, Presenter, Contribution to setting up a new center for regenerative and genetic medicine, November 2016 - November 2016

Service to External Organizations:

• Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Committee Member, Committee member for Young Scientist and New Innovator Award, April 2022 - April 2022

• Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Co-Organizer, Organization committee member, May 2022 - March 2023

• Other, Panelist, Member for NIH Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Failure (CCHF) Study Section, June 2020 - June 2020

• Other, Chairperson, Section Chair of BMES Annual Meeting Stem Cell Engineering Section, October 2019 - October 2019

• Other, BMES Advanced Biomanufacturing Special Interest Group, August 2018

• Other, Reviewer, 2017 - 2017