Past Speakers

Dr. Sung Kwon Cho is a tenured full professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Pittsburgh (PITT). He holds a BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA, he joined PITT in 2003 and established the “Micro/Bio Fluidics Lab” to investigate microfluidics and microfabrication research areas and to promote research and education integration. His primary research focus is on “microfluidics,” which encompasses fluid mechanics at micro or even smaller scales, with a particular emphasis on developing a diverse range of micro/bio fluidic sensors, actuators, and integrated systems that facilitate efficient handling of various micro/bio substances, including micro/nano fluids, functional particles, molecules, and more. One of the most immediate applications of his research is miniaturized biomedical microfluidic systems, commonly referred to as Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) systems, which currently have a significant impact on biomedical and healthcare applications. The nature of his research is highly interdisciplinary, encompassing fluid mechanics, micro/nano manufacturing, interfacial science, electrical engineering, and bioengineering. His current research topics include acoustically driven micro robotic swimmers and microfluidic artificial lungs. The majority of his research activities have been supported by federal grants (NSF, DOD, NIH, DOE, HSARPA, AHA, Department of Veterans Affairs) and the University of Pittsburgh, resulting in over 90 publications in archival journal articles, book chapters, and US patents (Google citations > 7100, h-index: 37).