Bin Feng

Associate Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

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Education

• BS in Precision Instruments, Tsinghua University
• MS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma
• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University at West Lafayette
• Post-doc in Visceral Pain & Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh 

Research Summary

Dr. Feng’s research is focused upon the sensory encoding and processing of the peripheral nervous system. Particular interests are given on 1) how the sensory afferent neurons detect and transmit pain-related sensory information, 2) the peripheral mechanisms that underlie the sensory aberrations in chronic pain and 3) translating scientific discoveries into next-generation neuromodulatory strategies and devices that target peripheral nerves/neurons for the better management of chronic pain.

A multidisciplinary approach has been taken including ex vivo and in vitro electrophysiological recordings and stimulations, molecular biology and transcriptome analyses, nerve-electrode interface via micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), optogenetics, biomechanics at the nerve – tissue interface, and together with rigorous computational simulations of neural encoding and tissue biomechanics.

Honors and Awards

• NSF IGERT Pre-doctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation
• Poster of Distinction Award, Digestive Disease Week
• NIDDK K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, National Institutes of Health

Publications

Chen L, Guo T, Zhang S, Smith PP, Feng B. Blocking peripheral drive from colorectal afferents by subkilohertz dorsal root ganglion stimulation. Pain. 2022 Apr 1;163(4):665-681. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002395. PubMed PMID: 34232925; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8720331.

Zhao Y, Feng B, Pierce DM. Predicting the micromechanics of embedded nerve fibers using a novel three-layered model of mouse distal colon and rectum. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2022 Mar;127:105083. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105083. Epub 2022 Jan 20. PubMed PMID: 35093713; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8916824.

Chen J, Zhang Y, Barandouzi Z, Lee J, Zhao T, Xu W, Chen M, Feng B, Starkweather A, Cong X. The effect of self-management online modules plus nurse-led support on pain and quality of life among young adults with irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. [preprint]. 2022 February. doi: 10.1101/2022.02.23.22271431.

Zhao Y, Siri S, Feng B, Pierce DM. Toward Elucidating the Physiological Impacts of Residual Stresses in the Colorectum. J Biomech Eng. 2022 Jan 1;144(1). doi: 10.1115/1.4051846. PubMed PMID: 34286820; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8420795.

Jiang S, Guo C, Song P, Zhou N, Bian Z, Zhu J, Wang R, Dong P, Zhang Z, Liao J, Yao J, Feng B, Murphy M, Zheng G. Resolution-Enhanced Parallel Coded Ptychography for High-Throughput Optical Imaging. ACS Photonics. 2021 October; 8(11):3261-3271. doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c01085.

Liu J, Ganeshbabu N, Shalaby N, Chen L, Guo T, Feng B. Targeting Two-Pore-Domain Potassium Channels by Mechanical Stretch Instantaneously Modulates Action Potential Transmission in Mouse Sciatic Nerves. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2021 Oct 6;12(19):3558-3566. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00052. Epub 2021 Aug 22. PubMed PMID: 34423641; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9012044.

Guo T, Patel S, Shah D, Chi L, Emadi S, Pierce DM, Han M, Brumovsky PR, Feng B. Optical clearing reveals TNBS-induced morphological changes of VGLUT2-positive nerve fibers in mouse colorectum. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2021 Apr 1;320(4):G644-G657. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00363.2020. Epub 2021 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 33533318; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8238166.

Bian Z, Guo T, Jiang S, Chen L, Liu J, Zheng G, Feng B. High-Throughput Functional Characterization of Visceral Afferents by Optical Recordings From Thoracolumbar and Lumbosacral Dorsal Root Ganglia. Front Neurosci. 2021;15:657361. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.657361. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 33776645; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7991386.

Maier F, Siri S, Santos S, Chen L, Feng B, Pierce DM. The heterogeneous morphology of networked collagen in distal colon and rectum of mice quantified via nonlinear microscopy. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2021 Jan;113:104116. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.104116. Epub 2020 Oct 8. PubMed PMID: 33049619; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7725919.