Dr Choong is interested in the artificial microenvironment made up of the interaction of cells and materials and how this microenvironment can be manipulated for cell-based therapy applications. In particular, she is interested in the development of biomaterials that support lineage specific differentiation and in vivo function of cells for the intended application.
Another area of research focus within Dr Choong’s group is on the application of engineering techniques and principles to study the structure and properties of biological tissues and cells. By learning more about the properties of the native microenvironment, it will facilitate the appropriate choice of materials (natural and synthetic), surface modification techniques and source of cells to use in order to come up with a functional biological substitute that can be used for clinical applications, as well as to develop in vitro platforms for drug testing/screening
