Leslie Tung, PhD

Research Interests

Engineering the Heart in a Dish

Our research involves the study of functional properties of engineered networks of living cardiac cells at varying structural levels that include single cells, cell strands, 2D sheets, and 3D tissue. We culture neonatal rat ventricular cells, human embyonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as multicellular networks to investigate fundamental properties of action potential propagation and arrhythmias. The use of voltage-sensitive dyes and optical mapping allows us to follow the temporal and spatial patterns of electrical activity.

Our work is currently directed within the following areas:

• Functional properties of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells
• Engineered cardiac tissues
• High frequency alternating current for cardiac therapy
• Myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte interactions More details are available on our lab website.

Titles

• Professor Emeritus, Biomedical Engineering

Education

• PhD, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1978
• MS, Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972
• BS, Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972

Recent Highlights

January 21, 2022

Tissue Engineering: The Future is Here

Through advances in biomaterials, stem cell science, and more, researchers are moving tantalizingly close to regenerating damaged body parts, creating new organs, and equipping our existing tissues to fight off debilitating diseases.

• June 17, 2019
  Seven from BME receive Johns Hopkins Discovery Awards
  Johns Hopkins University announced 32 multidisciplinary endeavors that have been selected to receive support this year from the JHU Discovery Awards program. Seven faculty from the Department of Biomedical Engineering are part of those endeavors.
• March 20, 2017
  Six from Johns Hopkins BME elected to AIMBE College of Fellows
  Six members of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University have been elected to the College of Fellows at the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
• June 1, 2015
  Les Tung named interim director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering
  Leslie Tung, PhD, professor and director of undergraduate studies in biomedical engineering, has been named interim director of the department of biomedical engineering.