Shu Chien | |
|---|---|
| 錢煦 | |
 | |
| Born | (1931-06-23)June 23, 1931 (age 94) Beijing, China |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | National Taiwan University (BS,MD) Columbia University (PhD) |
| Known for | Fluid dynamics ofblood flow Stem Cells |
| Awards | National Medal of Science (2010) American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006) National Academy of Engineering (1997) National Academy of Sciences (1994) Institute of Medicine (1993) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Bioengineering Physiology |
| Institutions | University of California, San Diego |
| Thesis | Quantitative evaluation of the circulatory adjustment of splenectomized dogs to hemorrhage (1958) |
Shu Chien (traditional Chinese:錢煦; simplified Chinese:钱煦; pinyin:Qián Xù; born June 23, 1931) is a Taiwanese-Americanphysiologist and bioengineer. His work on thefluid dynamics of blood flow has had a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such asatherosclerosis. Chien is currently President of theBiomedical Engineering Society.
Chien was elected a member of theNational Academy of Engineering in 1997 for research in blood rheology, microcirculation, cell mechanics, atherogenesis, and tissue engineering. He is one of only 11 scholars who are members of all three U.S. national institutes: theNational Academy of Sciences,National Academy of Engineering, and theInstitute of Medicine.[1]
Chien was born in Beijing and grew up in Shanghai.[2] Chien's family are descendants of the royal family of the KingQian Liu of theKingdom of Wuyue. His grandfather Chien Hong-ye (錢鴻業) was a Chief Justice in theSupreme Court of the Republic of China (in Shanghai). His fatherChien Shih-Liang, achemist, was former President ofAcademia Sinica. His elder brotherRobert Chien (錢純) was formerMinister of Finance of Taiwan, and formerSecretary-general ofExecutive Yuan. His young brotherFredrick Chien is also an influential politician in Taiwan. Shu Chien married Dr. Kuang-Chung Hu Chien in 1957.
From 1947 to 1948, Chien completed his medical preparatory study atPeking University Medical School. In 1949, Chien moved to Taiwan with his family. In 1953, Chien graduated fromNational Taiwan University. Chien went to study in the United States in 1954 and obtained his PhD in 1957 fromColumbia University. Chien also received hisM.D. from National Taiwan University.[3][4]
From 1969 to 1988, Chien was a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Columbia University. Chien was a Founding Fellow of theAmerican Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 1992.
Chien is current President (since 1991) of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering at theUniversity of California, San Diego (UCSD). Chien was the Chair of theDepartment of Bioengineering of UCSD from 1994 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2005. He is also the founding director of theInstitute of Engineering in Medicine in July 2008. He was named as a recipient of theNational Medal of Science by PresidentBarack Obama on September 27, 2011, for "pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering".[5]
In 1967 Chien published three papers inScience that advanced the understanding of the physics behind the flow ofred blood cells.[6][7] Chien and his colleagues were able to explore the flow properties of red blood cells through various experiments involved with filtering red blood cells through plastic porous sieves. One key finding was that the flow of red blood cells does not followNewtonian behavior and this characteristic is fundamental in aiding red blood cells to squeeze through capillaries.
Chien and his colleagues further discovered the importance of the malleability of red blood cells to pass through tiny pores smaller than the cells' diameter. In other words, a healthy normal red blood cell is able to "squeeze" by deforming its shape and pass through small pores. In addition, this deformation helps lower the viscosity of blood and facilitate flow. Another important discovery that determines the viscosity of blood is the ability of red blood cells to aggregate to formrouleaux (like stacks of coins) due to their disc like shape. Chien and his colleagues discovered that this was a crucial factor in modulating viscosity and regulating blood flow and elucidated the mechanical, electrical and biochemical basis of this process. These discoveries show that the shape of red blood cells is not accidental, but rather a highly "engineered design" meant for efficient transportation.
Chien has investigated the mechanisms by which mechanical forces such as pressure and flow regulate the behaviors of the cells in blood vessels, including theendothelial cells lining the vessellumen and the smooth muscle cells in the vessel interior and their interactions. His work has led to the understanding how forces with a clear direction (as seen in the straight parts of the vascular tree) can protect the vessels from atherosclerosis and how forces without a clear direction (as seen in the branch points) make the vessels vulnerable to atherosclerosis. More recently, he has developed novel approaches to assess the optimummicroenvironment for the growth and differentiation of stem cells.[citation needed]
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