ATP-Bio Researcher Zonghu Han Receives NIH K99/R00 Award to Advance the Future of Organ Cryopreservation
ATP-Bio celebrates the success of emerging research leaders whose work is advancing transformative technologies in biopreservation and biomedical innovation.
Zonghu Han, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota and member of the ATP-Bio community, has been awarded the prestigious NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The award supports promising early-career researchers as they transition from mentored training to independent research leadership.
Han’s project, “Engineering Lung Cryopreservation: From Precision-Cut Slices to Whole-Organ Transplantation,” aims to develop next-generation strategies for long-term lung preservation through advanced vitrification and rewarming approaches. By addressing critical challenges in organ storage and transplantation, the research has the potential to expand the availability of donor organs and improve outcomes for patients awaiting transplantation.
The achievement reflects ATP-Bio’s commitment to supporting the next generation of scientific leaders working at the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine. Through its interdisciplinary research environment, mentorship networks, collaborative opportunities, and emphasis on training, ATP-Bio helps early-career researchers develop the expertise and leadership skills needed to tackle complex biomedical challenges.
“I am deeply grateful to my mentors and advisory committee for their guidance and support throughout this journey,” Han shared. “This award marks an important step toward building my independent research program in organ cryopreservation and transplantation, and I am looking forward to the work ahead.”
Han’s research has been shaped through collaboration with leading experts in cryobiology, transplantation, and biomedical engineering, including mentors Erik Finger, John Bischof, Korkut Uygun, Shaf Keshavjee, and Stephen Huddleston.
The K99/R00 award represents a significant milestone in Han’s path toward establishing an independent research program and exemplifies the impact of investing in early-career investigators. ATP-Bio is proud to support researchers like Han as they translate innovative ideas into technologies that could transform the future of medicine.
Congratulations to Zonghu Han on this outstanding achievement!
[This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC 1941543]