Song Research Group

Research

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Blood-interfacing Biomaterials

We study how blood interacts with engineered materials under physiological flow and develop interfaces that remain stable, selective, and non-thrombogenic. Our work centers on bio-inspired and anti-coagulant surface designs that reduce non-specific protein adsorption and suppress clot formation during blood circulation. This research supports the development of safer dialysis systems, ECMO circuits, and material platforms for selective blood toxin removal.

Precision Therapeutic Platforms

We design therapeutic platforms that operate across length scales, connecting molecular-level therapeutics with device-level control. By combining external physical fields, including magnetic and acoustic actuation, with intelligent delivery carriers, we guide therapeutic agents through physiological barriers and localize intervention at target sites. Such platform-level integration allows image-guided and spatiotemporally controlled therapy, particularly for complex and deep-seated diseases.

Biorobotics

We develop robotic systems inspired by biological organisms and, in some cases, directly powered or guided by living cells. Our research includes bio-inspired and bio-derived microrobots, as well as biohybrid robots that merge synthetic structures with cellular functions. These systems are designed to function in complex biological fluids and environments, supporting minimally invasive intervention, targeted drug delivery, and in vivo sensing.

Join us

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

JOIN US

The Song Research Group is actively recruiting highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellows, Ph.D. students, Research Assistants, Master’s students, and Undergraduate students. We welcome candidates with diverse academic backgrounds, including but not limited to Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, and related fields.

If you are passionate about research and eager to make an impact, please send your application to Dr. Xin Song via email at xinsong@cityu.edu.hk.

Application Requirements: Please use the following format for your email subject line: [PhD/Postdoc/RA Inquiry] - [Your Name] - [Your Current Institution]

Please attach the following documents:

CV (including a full list of publications).
Representative papers (combined into a single PDF).
Research Summary Slides (a brief presentation introducing your past research work).

Teaching

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Teaching

I teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses in biomedical engineering, biomaterials, and robotics, with an emphasis on translating fundamental principles into practical healthcare technologies.

Courses Taught

2025–2026 · Semester B

Biorobotics (BME6115 / BME8129)
Postgraduate course, City University of Hong Kong
Biorobotics (BME6115)
Postgraduate course, City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan)

2025–2026 · Semester A

Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare and Biomedical Applications (BME6136 / BME8136)
Postgraduate course, City University of Hong Kong
Tissue Engineering (BME2104)
Undergraduate course, City University of Hong Kong

2024–2025

Engineering Design and Applications (MAEG3920)
Undergraduate course, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

News

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

01/2026: Dr. Song joined City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. Please check official website.

01/2026: Dr. Song was invited to join the Editorial Board of Advanced Mechatronics.

12/2025: Our review paper has been accepted by Nature Reviews Bioengineering!

11/2025: We are delighted to welcome Ms. Jieqiong Yang, a PhD candidate from our department, to the group.

11/2025: A warm welcome to Mr. Yicheng Xu, a Master’s student from our department, for joining the group.

10/2025: Dr. Song is appointed as a Youth Editorial Board Member for the journal Regenerative Biomaterials (IF = 8.1).

09/2025: Welcome Dr. Yilin Wang (Ph.D. from Sichuan University) joining us as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

09/2025: Welcome Ms. Liman Gong, who joins the group as a joint Master’s student.

09/2025: Big congratulations to Mr. Junliang Chen for commencing his PhD studies with us!

07/2025: Dr. Song joins the Youth Editorial Board of Nano-Micro Letters (IF = 36.3).

07/2025: Welcome Dr. Dongxun Chen (Ph.D. from Shandong University) joining us as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

07/2025: The collaborative research paper “Magnetic nanostickers for active control of interface-enhanced selective bioadhesion” is published in Nature Communications.

07/2025: The collaborative research paper “Permanent magnetic droplet–derived microrobots” has been published in Science Advances.

06/2025: Our paper “Engineering microalgae-based biohybrid robots for biomedical applications” has been published in Cell Biomaterials!.

05/2025: Our lab has received an Internal Funding Opportunity from City University of Hong Kong. We are grateful for the support!

05/2025: Welcome Mr. Junliang Chen (MEng from HIT Shenzhen) joining us as a Research Assistant.

03/2025: “Our paper “Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials” has been published in The Innovation!”

03/2025: “Our review paper “Robotic-Assisted Endovascular Embolization: Progress and Future Perspectives” has been published in Smartbot and selected as the Inside Front Cover!”

01/2025: Dr. Song is invited to serve as a Youth Editor for the journal Research (Science Partner Journal, IF = 11.0).

01/2025: The new lab is established! Dr. Song joins the Department of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor.