Dr. Yu Feng, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
"Revolutionizing Lung Healthcare with Digital Twins"

Lung diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. What if we could transform the fight against lung diseases by diagnosing them earlier and treating them with unprecedented precision and effectiveness? Dr. Yu Feng’s groundbreaking research in computational fluid dynamics is helping to turn that vision into reality. By creating digital twins—or virtual replicas—of the human respiratory system that simulate airflow and particle behavior, this research is unlocking new possibilities for pulmonary healthcare.

These initial digital twins of human lungs serve as virtual testing grounds, enabling researchers to map out biomarkers for disease and simulate the effects of specific therapeutic interventions. This will eventually allow clinicians to detect early biomarkers of lung disease, predict treatment outcomes, and design highly personalized therapies — without invasive procedures. Use of digital twins also has the potential to democratize healthcare, bringing cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments to underserved communities and individuals with limited resources. This conversation with Dr. Feng will show how his work is helping to reshape the future of pulmonary medicine for everyone, everywhere.