About

Sungmin Nam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He holds a PhD from Stanford University (2019), an MS from Stanford University (2015), and a BS from Seoul National University (2013). His research interests include mechanobiology, biomaterials, biomechanics, medical devices, and mechanotherapy. His work focuses on understanding and developing materials and systems for biological and medical applications, particularly in the areas of biomechanics and biosystems engineering, mechanics and materials, and micro/nano engineering. Recognized for his contributions to the field, he has received numerous awards including the New Investigator Recognition Award from the Orthopedic Research Society in 2023, the Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review in 2022, and the Baxter Young Investigator Award in 2022. He is involved in advancing the development of toughened hydrogel materials that could serve as replacements for cartilage, skin, and other biological tissues, and has been acknowledged for his early career development through the 2025 KSEA Young Investigator Grant.

Research topics

• Biophysics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Neuroscience
• Composite material
• Chemistry
• Biology

Selected publications

• Mechanical regulation of metabolism, epigenetics, and their interplay

  npj Biomedical Innovations. · 2026-01-16 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Mechanical cues from the cellular microenvironment critically influence cell behavior, fate, and function through coordinated regulation of metabolism and gene expression. This review discusses how mechanical signals are sensed and transduced into biochemical responses that reshape metabolic pathways and the epigenetic landscape. We highlight emerging evidence linking mechanotransduction, metabolic reprogramming, and chromatin modifications, and propose directions for future research to unravel how mechanical forces orchestrate this dynamic and reciprocal interplay.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Spatiotemporal toughness modulation in hydrogels through on-demand cross-linking

  Science Advances · 2025-10-10 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Tough hydrogels are promising for soft robotics, bioelectronics, and tissue adhesives due to their exceptional resilience and biocompatibility, yet precise spatiotemporal control of their mechanics remains challenging. Here, we present a hydrogel platform that enables spatiotemporal modulation of toughness through a latent ionic cross-linking mechanism. By embedding calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) microparticles in alginate/polyacrylamide double-network hydrogels, we create a system where localized calcium release and thus ionic cross-linking can be programmed in both space and time. Spatial control is achieved by direct ink writing of CaCO 3 , while temporal activation is triggered by glucono-δ-lactone, a biocompatible acidifier that releases calcium on demand. This strategy allows user-defined tuning of stiffness and toughness, enabling fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels with tailored mechanical profiles. The resulting materials offer a versatile platform for anisotropic impact shielding, directional strain sensing, and 3D-printed tissue adhesives, representing a paradigm shift for adaptive, reconfigurable, and multifunctional soft materials.

  PublisherDOI

• Dynamic injectable tissue adhesives with strong adhesion and rapid self-healing for regeneration of large muscle injury

  Biomaterials · 2024-04-26 · 23 citations

  articleOpen access1st author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Active tissue adhesive activates mechanosensors and prevents muscle atrophy

  Nature Materials · 2022-11-10 · 93 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Active tissue adhesive activates mechanosensors and prevents muscle atrophy

  Harvard Dataverse · 2022-07-30

  datasetOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Source data

  PublisherDOI

• Enhanced substrate stress relaxation promotes filopodia-mediated cell migration

  Nature Materials · 2021 · 256 citations

  • Materials science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biophysics
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Skeletal muscle regeneration with robotic actuation–mediated clearance of neutrophils

  Science Translational Medicine · 2021-10-06 · 100 citations

  articleOpen access

  Controlled cyclic loading with a robotic system accelerates muscle regeneration in mice by early removal of neutrophils and their chemical cues.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The nature of cell division forces in epithelial monolayers

  The Journal of Cell Biology · 2021-05-20 · 25 citations

  articleOpen access

  Epithelial cells undergo striking morphological changes during division to ensure proper segregation of genetic and cytoplasmic materials. These morphological changes occur despite dividing cells being mechanically restricted by neighboring cells, indicating the need for extracellular force generation. Beyond driving cell division itself, forces associated with division have been implicated in tissue-scale processes, including development, tissue growth, migration, and epidermal stratification. While forces generated by mitotic rounding are well understood, forces generated after rounding remain unknown. Here, we identify two distinct stages of division force generation that follow rounding: (1) Protrusive forces along the division axis that drive division elongation, and (2) outward forces that facilitate postdivision spreading. Cytokinetic ring contraction of the dividing cell, but not activity of neighboring cells, generates extracellular forces that propel division elongation and contribute to chromosome segregation. Forces from division elongation are observed in epithelia across many model organisms. Thus, division elongation forces represent a universal mechanism that powers cell division in confining epithelia.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Polymeric Tissue Adhesives

  Chemical Reviews · 2021-01-28 · 698 citations

  review1st author

  Polymeric tissue adhesives provide versatile materials for wound management and are widely used in a variety of medical settings ranging from minor to life-threatening tissue injuries. Compared to the traditional methods of wound closure (i.e., suturing and stapling), they are relatively easy to use, enable rapid application, and introduce minimal tissue damage. Furthermore, they can act as hemostats to control bleeding and provide a tissue-healing environment at the wound site. Despite their numerous current applications, tissue adhesives still face several limitations and unresolved challenges (e.g., weak adhesion strength and poor mechanical properties) that limit their use, leaving ample room for future improvements. Successful development of next-generation adhesives will likely require a holistic understanding of the chemical and physical properties of the tissue-adhesive interface, fundamental mechanisms of tissue adhesion, and requirements for specific clinical applications. In this review, we discuss a set of rational guidelines for design of adhesives, recent progress in the field along with examples of commercially available adhesives and those under development, tissue-specific considerations, and finally potential functions for future adhesives. Advances in tissue adhesives will open new avenues for wound care and potentially provide potent therapeutics for various medical applications.

  PublisherDOI

• Cellular Pushing Forces during Mitosis Drive Mitotic Elongation in Collagen Gels

  Advanced Science · 2021-01-04 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Cell elongation along the division axis, or mitotic elongation, mediates proper segregation of chromosomes and other intracellular materials, and is required for completion of cell division. In three-dimensionally confining extracellular matrices, such as dense collagen gels, dividing cells must generate space to allow mitotic elongation to occur. In principle, cells can generate space for mitotic elongation during cell spreading, prior to mitosis, or via extracellular force generation or matrix degradation during mitosis. However, the processes by which cells drive mitotic elongation in collagen-rich extracellular matrices remains unclear. Here, it is shown that single cancer cells generate substantial pushing forces on the surrounding collagen extracellular matrix to drive cell division in confining collagen gels and allow mitotic elongation to proceed. Neither cell spreading, prior to mitosis, nor matrix degradation, during spreading or mitotic elongation, are found to be required for mitotic elongation. Mechanistically, laser ablation studies, pharmacological inhibition studies, and computational modeling establish that pushing forces generated during mitosis in collagen gels arise from a combination of interpolar spindle elongation and cytokinetic ring contraction. These results reveal a fundamental mechanism mediating cell division in confining extracellular matrices, providing insight into how tumor cells are able to proliferate in dense collagen-rich tissues.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Ovijit Chaudhuri

  Stanford University

  25 shared

• Joanna Y. Lee

  7 shared

• Taeyoon Kim

  7 shared

• David Mooney

  6 shared

• Hong-Pyo Lee

  6 shared

• Vivek Kumar Gupta

  Stanford University

  5 shared

• Robert B. West

  5 shared

• Katrina M. Wisdom

  GlaxoSmithKline (United States)

  5 shared

Education

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering

  Stanford University

  2019

• MS, Mechanical Engineering

  Stanford University

  2015

• BS, Mechanical Engineering

  Seoul National University

  2013

Awards & honors

• New Investigator Recognition Award – Orthopedic Research Soc…
• Innovators Under 35 (Korea) – MIT Technology Review (2022)
• Rising Stars in Soft and Biological Matter Symposium – The N…
• Baxter Young Investigator Award – Baxter Healthcare Incorpor…
• Best Poster Presentation Award – The US-KOREA Conference on…