Faculty Spotlight: Ngan Huang, PhD

by Roxanna Van Norman
April 13, 2022

Recently, Ngan F. Huang, PhD, an associate professor in the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, had one of her childhood dreams realized, at least vicariously, through the work of astronauts in space.

Huang had her tissue engineering research launched into space last August, a project supported by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), an organization that oversees research being done on the International Space Station (ISS). It was a successful launch.

"When we saw our samples launched into space, it almost felt like I had gone to space with them. I felt like I was living out a childhood dream," said Huang. For her, having this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do research on the space station was the closest thing to fulfilling most kids' dreams at one point of becoming an astronaut.

As the principal investigator for the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Huang and her team had worked on research advancements and treatments for muscle deterioration. Evidence shows that when astronauts return from space, they experience some degree of muscle deterioration. Huang hypothesized that this space-based deterioration might share qualities with Earth-based sarcopenia, a gradual age-related muscle deterioration condition.

A career in regenerative medicine

For the last 15 years, Huang has built her extensive career in bioengineering, stem cell biology, and cardiovascular medicine at Stanford School of Medicine. She joined the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery faculty in 2013 and was recently promoted to associate professor with tenure in April of 2022.

Huang attributes her passion for regenerative medicine to when she was first introduced to tissue engineering, a novel field emerging in the 1990s. "I thought that was so fascinating," she said.

"I saw a particular need in cardiovascular medicine for improved methods in regenerative therapies," said Huang, who received her PhD in bioengineering from the University of California Berkeley and the University of California San Francisco Joint Program in Bioengineering. 

Huang currently runs the Stanford Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Laboratory, where she and her team are developing new therapies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to treat cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases. 

A major research focus of Huang's laboratory is treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a circulatory condition in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the limbs, leading to tissue ischemia. 

Using stem cell and biomaterials strategies, Huang aims to study the potential use of stem cell-derived endothelial cells to survive and restore blood flow in PAD. Her current work is supported by two NIH R01 awards and two merit awards from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Research and beyond

Huang is one of the few research-only (PhD) faculty in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. She feels fortunate to bring her deep knowledge and research background in bioengineering and cardiovascular regenerative medicine to the department.

"My research in the department is quite translational and multi-disciplinary," said Huang, whose training is influenced by her previous postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Stanford Department of Medicine. "I am grateful to further the department's academic excellence in scholarly contributions through research, mentoring of trainees, and teaching."  

She collaborates with multiple groups in the Stanford School of Medicine, including the laboratories of Joseph Woo, MD, Philip Tsao, PhD, and Thomas Rando, MD, PhD. She also collaborates with faculty in engineering departments, including Gerald Fuller, PhD, in Chemical Engineering, and Sarah Heilshorn, PhD, in Materials Science and Engineering.

Huang teaches two classes for individuals interested in cardiovascular medicine. One is a seminar class called MED223, where they invite Stanford faculty to share their research and potentially get students connected in a lab. The second is CTS225, a didactic course that provides an overview of stem cells and their applications in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. 

In addition to her research, Huang gives research and career development talks at Cañada College, a local Hispanic-serving community college, and other campus summer research programs. Working in the VA Palo Alto, Huang has a strong interest in promoting the advancement of underrepresented groups, including veterans, in the STEM field. She is also active in many academic and professional organizations and sits on committees to further the advancements of underrepresented scientists. 

"I hope that by serving on these committees that are part of these large organizations, we can change how diversity and inclusion are perceived and put into action," said Huang.

If her plate was not already full enough with research activities, teaching, and mentoring young scientists, Huang tries to balance her busy schedule with her family of four young kids.

"I will tell you I have nearly zero free time," said Huang, who laughed about it. She further added it was challenging to juggle everything, especially when the global pandemic hit and turned her work-life balance into a whack-a-mole experience. She shared her parenting experience in an editorial piece for the Clayman Institute for Gender Research on how the pandemic impacted women in different ways. 

"I try to lean in whenever possible and hope I serve as a role model for people in research," said Huang. When asked what advice she would give to those thinking about pursuing a career in research, she says it is important to give research a chance. Her second piece of advice is to have resilience. 

"In research, you must try many different ways to study a problem," said Huang. "It's delayed gratification with potential impact."