How do cells know where to go and work together to build our organs? Our lab explores how cells sense and generate physical forces or signals in their environment and translate these signals into decisions that guide tissue formation, maintenance, and repair — processes essential to health and disease. A central mystery is how complex cell- and tissue-level functions such as migration, morphogenesis, and homeostasis emerge from molecular sensors, e.g., Piezo channels and focal adhesion complexes, and collective cell behaviors. Using interdisciplinary tools — including advanced microscopy, microfluidics, computational analysis, biophysical measurements, and biological models — we seek to understand the principles of emergent cell and tissue behaviors and harness them for innovative tissue engineering solutions. This highly collaborative work is conducted with a network of leading laboratories in China and overseas.