CBM Seminar Series – Flow Perfusion via Integrated Vasculature Drives Human Brain Organoid Maturation and Enables Modeling of Microglia Vasculature Trafficking

The College of Biomedicine was honored to host Professor Angela Ruohao WU, Associate Professor in the Division of Life Science and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as a distinguished speaker for the CBM Seminar Series on 14 September 2026. Professor Wu is internationally recognized for her interdisciplinary expertise in microfluidics, molecular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics.

In her talk entitled "Flow Perfusion via Integrated Vasculature Drives Human Brain Organoid Maturation and Enables Modeling of Microglia Vasculature Trafficking", Professor Wu presented her group's pioneering development of perfusable vascularized human cerebral organoids (pvhCOs). She highlighted how active flow perfusion reduces hypoxia, enhances organoid growth, and promotes neuronal and glial differentiation, recapitulating the transcriptomic landscape of the human fetal brain. Importantly, she demonstrated the first direct observation of microglia vasculature trafficking and colonization within a functionally perfusable human neurodevelopmental context.

The seminar stimulated lively discussion among faculty, researchers, and students, underscoring the transformative potential of vascularized organoid models in advancing neuroscience and disease modeling. Professor Wu's lecture showcased how integrating bioengineering innovation with organoid technology opens new avenues for studying neurovascular interactions and developing human specific alternatives to animal models.