Lydia Sohn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lydia Lee Sohn
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Lydia Sohn speaks at the World Economic Forum in 2015
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| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Mechanical engineering, Bio-engineering |
| Institutions | Harvard University Delft University of Technology |
| Thesis | Geometrical Effects in Two-Dimensional Arrays of Josephson Junctions (1990) |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael Tinkham |
Lydia Lee Sohn is a brilliant professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She teaches mechanical engineering and bio-engineering. She also helped start a company called Nodexus. In 2002, Professor Sohn and her colleague Paul McEuen found some serious problems in scientific papers about semiconductors. Their discovery led to many papers being taken back. This event is known as the Schön scandal.
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Her Journey in Science
Professor Sohn was inspired by her parents, who both worked in science. Her father would even bring cool things like magnesium home from his lab! She earned her bachelor's degree in Chemistry & Physics in 1988. Then, she got her master's degree in physics in 1990 from Harvard University.
She continued her studies at Harvard. In 1992, she finished her Ph.D. Her research was about "Geometrical Effects in Two-Dimensional Arrays of Josephson Junctions." Her advisor was Michael Tinkham. After that, she worked as a postdoc at Delft University of Technology in 1993. This was supported by the NSF and NATO.
From 1993 to 1995, Professor Sohn worked at AT&T's Bell Labs. There, she developed new ways to create tiny patterns using an atomic force microscope. This process is called lithography.
Teaching and Leadership
In 1995, Professor Sohn became an assistant professor of physics at Princeton University. She joined UC Berkeley in 2003 as an assistant professor. She worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. By 2005, she became an associate professor.
Since 2011, Professor Sohn has been a faculty assistant to the vice chancellor for research. In 2015, she was promoted to a full professor. She was also a Presidential Chair Fellow at UC Berkeley from 2012 to 2013. She was a Baker Fellow from 2013 to 2015.
In 2017, Professor Sohn was honored by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. She was chosen for their college of Fellows. This was for her "outstanding contributions to engineering design." It also recognized her work in measuring cell surface receptors. She was officially inducted as a Fellow on March 20, 2017.
Amazing Discoveries in Cell Research
Professor Sohn creates special tools. These tools help find and separate rare cells from a mix. They also help check for specific markers on cell surfaces. For example, she can isolate circulating tumor cells. These are cancer cells that travel in the blood. Studying them helps scientists understand why some tumors spread.
Early Detection for Lung Cancer
One of her main interests is finding lung cancer early. Lung cancer often has no symptoms. Testing for it can also be very expensive. Her research aims to create fast and cheap ways to detect tumor-derived exosomes in saliva. Exosomes are tiny bubbles released by cells.
Her technique uses resistive-pulse sensing. It measures how much a tiny bead changes size. This happens when tumor exosomes stick to it. The bead is coated with a special antibody.
In 2007, Professor Sohn showed her small nano-cytometer. This was at an exhibition for Congress leaders. The nano-cytometer aims to make disease detection easier and cheaper at home. It can test a single drop of blood. It uses a disposable cartridge with a silicon chip. This chip has tiny holes, like filters in human cells.
Understanding Cancer Cells
At a meeting in 2012, Professor Sohn showed images of fluorescent markers. These markers were attached to a biomarker called CCR7. This biomarker is found on breast cancer cells. It is linked to lower survival rates.
In 2014, Professor Sohn developed a new method called 'node-pore sensing' (NPS). This method screens cells without needing special labels. NPS measures changes in electric current. This happens as a cell moves through a tiny channel. The channel has small sections, each with different antibodies. This uses inexpensive microfluidics. As blood flows, its speed changes if a cell protein meets a matching antibody. This allows many protein markers to be tested quickly.
Professor Sohn was a finalist in a big international competition. It was about finding new technologies for life sciences. Her idea was for a "low-cost, label-free platform." This platform could screen and sort single cells for many surface markers. As part of this award, she met with important science leaders.
Cell Flexibility and Cancer
A newer version of NPS is called 'mechano-NPS'. It adds a special channel to measure a cell's size. It also checks how easily a cell changes shape and recovers. This was developed around 2016 with her student, Junghyun Kim. Mechano-NPS can tell the difference between cancerous and non-cancerous epithelial cells. It can also track how cancer develops. Cancerous cells often travel faster because they are more pliable or elastic. Professor Sohn was surprised that cell flexibility could help find cancer.
Working with Mark LaBarge, Professor Sohn confirmed that mechano-NPS could tell apart different breast cancer cells. These include myoepithelial (MEP) and luminal epithelial (LEP) cells. LEP cells produce milk and are often targeted by cancer. MEP cells help with ductal contraction and can stop tumors. For Professor Sohn, reducing the uncertainty of cancer screening is very important. Her own mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Professor Sohn also works with Grace O'Connell. They use her cell deformation research to find cells in diseased osteoarthritic tissue. They want to find cells that can grow into healthy tissue. This could help with tissue engineering. It might reduce the need for artificial joints, which are only temporary. Finding and sorting the best cells is key. It takes months to grow tissue, and only the strongest cartilage can support the human body. Her work helps find the best cell candidates by testing how they deform in thin channels.
Professor Sohn enjoys her varied research. She once said, "I think everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve done something very different from the previous time, which is probably not great career-wise. But, for me, it’s all about whether it’s fun or not."
Nodexus
In 2014, Professor Sohn helped start Nodexus. This company aims to turn her cell screening research into real-world products.
Awards and Honors
Professor Sohn has received many awards for her amazing work:
- Thomas S. Monfried Scholar, New Jersey Harvard Alumni Association (1985)
- Francis Lee Friedman Physics Award, Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges (1987)
- Rowland Foundation Physics Research Award (1986–1988)
- Office of Naval Research Predoctoral Fellowship (1988–1991)
- National Science Foundation-NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship (1992–1993)
- Wu Foundation Award (1996)
- AT&T and Lucent Technologies Foundation Award (1996)
- DuPont Young Professor Award (1996–1999)
- National Science Foundation Faculty Career Early Development Award (1996–2000)
- Army Research Office Young Investigator Award (1997–2000)
- Sigma Pi Sigma, National Physics Honor Society (2004)
- W. M. Keck Foundation Medical Research Program Award (2010–2013)
- “Identifying Platform Technologies for Advancing Life Sciences Research” competition finalist (2014)
- Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2017)
- Chancellor's Professor, UC Berkeley (2019–2020)
- Almy C. Maynard and Agnes Offield Maynard Chair in Mechanical Engineering (2020)
Images for kids
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Lydia Sohn speaking at the World Economic Forum in 2015.
