Hang Lu was appointed Regents’ Professor by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents at the board's May meeting.

Regents' positions are the highest distinction bestowed by the system.

Lu is associate dean for research and innovation in Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering and holds the Cecil J. "Pete" Silas Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

She researches at the intersection of engineering and biology, creating miniature lab-on-a-chip tools to study neuroscience, genetics, cancer, and more. By shrinking devices closer to the scale of actual biological systems, her team can examine the unique properties and phenomena that occur at the micro and nano scales.

Lu uses her devices alongside optical tools, machine learning, and other techniques to understand complex biological systems. Her team’s goal is to uncover new pathways to treating disease by getting a full picture of the normal function of those systems and how they function when disrupted.

As associate dean, Lu is responsible for identifying new research opportunities, encouraging research collaborations, and facilitating partnerships among faculty across Georgia Tech and with outside partners. She also serves as associate director of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology (SCMB), a $10 million research initiative supported by the National Science Foundation and Simons Foundation. 

Lu received the Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities award in 2023. She is a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).