Biographical Information

Henry Wang has a B.S. (1972) from Iowa State, and an M.S. (1974) and a Ph.D. (1977) both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Research Interests

Health and Biopharmaceutical Engineering. The global healthcare sector, comprised of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device companies, regulatory agencies such as FDA, healthcare providers, insurers and consumers, is a dynamic and unique entity, rapidly moving towards highly automated and electronic environments in which the storage, management, and use of complex information is essential for success. Technological innovation to address various disparities in these health systems needs to be addressed. Some of the key research topics in Health and Biopharmaceutical Engineering include: design of personalized medicine for global health, rapid vaccine and drug development during pandemics; and regulatory science based on Quality By Design (QbD) and engineering innovation.

Bioprocessing for Sustainable Development. A sustainable and environmentally sound economy requires the development of a new generation of ecologically compatible “cleantech” manufacturing processes. Bioprocessing and biotechnology should have a significant impact on this development. New and sustainable bioprocesses can be designed to manufacture biofuels, specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals. A systematic approach of developing a reconfigurable network for biomass to bioenergy/bioproduct processes by integrating both chemical and biological reactions and the use of advanced manufacturing science with process intensification is currently being investigated.

Selected Publications

B.H. Junker and H.Y. Wang, “Bioprocess Monitoring and Computer Control: Key Roots of the Current PAT Initiative,” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 95 (2), 226-261, 2006.
J. M. Miller, U.  J. Kale, K. Lau, L. Greene, and H. Y. Wang, “Rapid Estimation of Kinetic Parameters for Thermal Decomposition of Penicillins by Modulated Thermogravimetric Analysis” Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 35, 65-73, 2004.
L. Mendricks, J. VanRoeyen, and H.Y. Wang, “The Future of Pharmaceutical Engineering,” Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 93 (2), 235-238, 2004.
A. Shotipruk, P.B. Kaufman, and H.Y. Wang, “Conceptual Design of LED Based Hydroponic Photobioreactor for High Density Plant Cultivation,” Biotechnology Progress, 15 (6), 1058-1064, 1999.
Dykstra, K.H. and H.Y. Wang. " Monitoring Intracellular Protein Profiles with Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis"  Biotechnol Progress, 8:369-374, 1993.
Chen, J.C. and H.Y. Wang. " Process Monitoring of Dissolved Oxygen Using A Computerized Pulsing Membrane Electrode"  Biotechnol. Progress, 9:75-80, 1993.
Evans, P.J. and H.Y. Wang.  “Enhancement of Butanol Formation by Clostridium acetobutyricum in the Presence of Decanol-Oleyl Alcohol Mixed Extractants,” Applied Environmental Microbiology, 54 (7), 1662-1667, 1988.