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Principal Investigator (PI): Hsiao-Chuan Liu, Ph.D.
Dr. Hsiao-Chuan Liu served as a Research Scientist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2007 to 2015 under the supervision of Professor Yi-Hong Chou, MD, and Professor Chui-Mei Tiu, MD. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2019 under the supervision of Dean's Professor K. Kirk Shung. Then, he moved to Mayo Clinic Rochester for Postdoctoral Fellow training under the guidance of Professor Matthew W. Urban. Subsequently, in 2021, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic Rochester. During 2022-2025, Dr. Liu was an Research Assistant Professor of Keck School of Medicine at the USC under the supervision of Professor Qifa Zhou, and partially joined the Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) working with Professor Xuanhe Zhao. Dr. Liu currently is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst, with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Radiology at UMass Chan Medical School.
His research program focuses on ultrasound imaging, shear wave elastography, optical coherence elastography, and acoustic tweezers to probe mechanical properties of biological tissues and to study cell mechanics. His work has appeared in Science, Science Advances, Nature Electronics, Nature Microsystems & Nanoengineering, Applied Physics Letters, Biomedical Optics Express, Journal of Biophotonics, Ultrasonics, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, and others. He is currently the Principal Investigator on multiple active awards. He has been awarded and completed 17 national and international projects, serving as both PI and Co-I. Furthermore, he has several U.S. patents and published more than 100 literatures including research and conference articles. His research has been highlighted several media by AIP Scilight, IEEE TBME Spotlight, USC Viterbi News, MIT News, Interesting Engineering, and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), reaching broad audiences in engineering, medicine, and the general public.
Email: hcliu@umass.edu
Anyu Yang, MD, PhD
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Interests: My research centers on ultrasound-triggered programmable therapeutics, with a focus on cavitation-mediated systems, acoustic phase-transition nanomaterials, and image-guided, externally controllable platforms. I develop ultrasound-responsive nanodroplets and nano-systems that enable precise spatiotemporal control of drug delivery and therapeutic activation, integrating physical actuation with real-time imaging feedback.
In parallel, I am interested in ultrasound–material interactions and mechanobiology, particularly how acoustic forces regulate tissue mechanics and how elastography can be leveraged to quantify biomechanical properties across scales. I aim to establish a quantitative framework that links ultrasound-induced mechanical responses to biological function, with potential applications in thrombosis, wound healing, and vascular diseases.
My long-term goal is to develop translational ultrasound therapeutics that integrate real-time imaging, mechanical actuation, and therapeutic modulation, enabling programmable, feedback-controlled interventions for vascular diseases.
Hobbies: Outside of research, I enjoy reading books, staying active at the gym, snowboarding and exploring new places.
Email: YAA139@pitt.edu
Yooseok Lim
Title: PhD Student
Research Interests: I am broadly interested in integrating ultrasound technologies with AI to develop clinically deployable systems that improve patient care. My primary focus is on advancing elastography imaging systems based on optical coherence elastography and shear wave elastography, as well as optimizing acoustic tweezing techniques through advanced control strategies.
Hobbies: Outside of research, I’m a big soccer fan and I also enjoy running. I participate in one or two marathons each year, and I love taking walks and exploring new places.
Email: seook6453@gmail.com
Nidhi Mankan
Title: Master Student
Research: My research passion lies in medical imaging and biomedical devices with a focus on how imaging technologies can be used to better understand biological processes. I am interested in investigating ultrasound based imaging and other noninvasive imaging techniques that can provide information about tissue properties and biomechanics. I am especially interested in how biomedical devices and imaging methods can be translated into clinical applications.
Hobbies: Outside of academics and research, if I'm not hanging out with my friends or family, I like to watch movies and read.
Email: nmankan@umass.edu
Former Group Members
Name
Brandon Vreeland
Nathan Chen
Aidan Tribick
Roles in the Lab
Master student
undergraduate student
undergraduate student
Current Position
Engineer, BrioHealth Solution
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