Location: Fung Auditorium
Rapid Identification of Optimal Combinatorial Medicine via Feedback System Control (FSC)
Chih-Ming Ho, Ph.D.
Ben Rich-Lockheed Martin Chair Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Department of Bioengineering
University of California, Los Angeles
Abstract: Cell is the most fundamental biological system and yet is a complex system. In biological cells, the self-organization of these bio molecules leads toward emergent cellular functionalities. As for any complex system, the system functionalities cannot be directly linked to individual bio-molecular interactions. This presents a significant challenge for bottom-up reductionist approach.
We take a top-down approach by developing a feedback system control (FSC) scheme to harness an effective combinatorial drug therapy modality. For example, 6 drugs with 10 concentrations each would result in 1,000,000 potential search trials. With the FSC approach, we have demonstrated that only tens of searches instead of 1,000,000 cases are needed to identify the optimized drug cocktail.
Biosketch: Chih-Ming Ho holds the Ben Rich-Lockheed Martin Chair Professor and Distinguished Professor in UCLA School of Engineering. He is the Director of Center for Cell Control (NIH Nanomedicine Roadmap program). He served as UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in 2001-2005.
Dr. Ho is known for his work in microfluidics, bio system technologies and turbulence. He is ranked by ISI as one of the top 250 most cited researchers worldwide in the entire engineering category. In 1997, Dr. Ho was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In the next year, he was elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica. He is a Fellow of APS and AIAA.