Hongwei Cai, Ph.D.

Publication

“#” equal contribution, “*” corresponding

Over 2,300 citations at Google Scholar as of September 1, 2026

featured as cover story

Role
YearFromTo
  • H. Cai, C. Tian, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Interfacing biological neural networks with three-dimensional devices.” Nature Electronics, 9(5): 461–462, 2026.
  • Y. Xing, Y. Yang, Z. Hong, C. Tian, H. Chu, S. C. Prokop, H. Cai, M. Gu, J. Tchieu, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Organoid brain-machine-interface devices for central nervous system repair.” Advanced Science, e75444, 2026.
  • H. Cai, C. Tian, L. Chen, Y. Yang, A. X. Sun, K. McCracken, J. Tchieu, M. Gu, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Vascular network-inspired diffusible scaffolds for engineering functional midbrain organoids.” Cell Stem Cell, 32(5):824-837.e825, 2025.Highlighted by Cell Biomaterials.
  • C. Tian, Z. Ao, J. Cerneckis, H. Cai, L. Chen, H. Niu, K. Takayama, J. Kim, Y. Shi, and F. Guo*. “Understanding monocyte-driven neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease using human cortical organoid microphysiological systems.” Science Advances, 11(34):eadu2708, 2025.
  • X. Li, J. Chen, Y. Yang, H. Cai, Z. Ao, Y. Xing, K. Li, K. Yang, W. Guan, and F. Guo*. “Extracellular vesicle-based point-of-care testing for diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease.” Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 11(1):65, 2025.
  • K. Li, L. Gu, H. Cai, H.-C. Lu, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Human brain organoids for understanding substance use disorders.” Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 101031, 2025.
  • C. Tian, H. Cai, Z. Ao, L. Gu, X. Li, V. C. Niu, M. Bondesson, M. Gu, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Engineering human midbrain organoid microphysiological systems to model prenatal PFOS exposure.” Science of The Total Environment, 947:174478, 2024.
  • L. Gu, H. Cai, L. Chen, M. Gu, J. Tchieu, and F. Guo*. “Functional neural networks in human brain organoids.” BME Frontiers, 5:0065, 2024.
  • Z. Wu, H. Cai, C. Tian, Z. Ao, L. Jiang, and F. Guo*. “Exploiting sound for emerging applications of extracellular vesicles.” Nano Research, 17(2):462-475, 2024.
  • H. Cai, Z. Ao, C. Tian, Z. Wu, H. Liu, J. Tchieu, M. Gu, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Brain organoid reservoir computing for artificial intelligence.” Nature Electronics, 6(12):1032-1039, 2023.Highlighted by Nature Electronics and reported by more than 140 media outlets worldwide.
  • H. Cai, Z. Ao, C. Tian, Z. Wu, C. Kaurich, Z. Chen, M. Gu, A. G. Hohmann, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Engineering human spinal microphysiological systems to model opioid-induced tolerance.” Bioactive Materials, 22:482-490, 2023.
  • J. Xu#, H. Cai#, Z. Wu, X. Li, C. Tian, Z. Ao, V. C. Niu, X. Xiao, L. Jiang, M. Khodoun, M. Rothenberg, K. Mackie, J. Chen, L. P. Lee, and F. Guo*. “Acoustic metamaterials-driven transdermal drug delivery for rapid and on-demand management of acute disease.” Nature Communications, 14(1):869, 2023.#Equal contribution.
  • Z. Wu, Z. Ao, H. Cai, X. Li, B. Chen, H. Tu, Y. Wang, R. O. Lu, M. Gu, and F. Guo*. “Acoustofluidic assembly of primary tumor-derived organotypic cell clusters for rapid evaluation of cancer immunotherapy.” Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 21(1):1-9, 2023.
  • Z. Ao#, H. Cai#, Z. Wu, L. Hu, A. Nunez, Z. Zhou, H. Liu, M. Bondesson, X. Lu, X. Lu, M. Dao, and F. Guo*. “Microfluidics guided by deep learning for cancer immunotherapy screening.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2214569119, 2022.#Equal contribution.
  • Z. Ao, S. Song, C. Tian, H. Cai, X. Li, Y. Miao, Z. Wu, J. Krzesniak, B. Ning, and F. Guo*. “Understanding immune-driven brain aging by human brain organoid microphysiological analysis platform.” Advanced Science, 9(27):2200475, 2022.
  • Z. Ao, Z. Wu, H. Cai, L. Hu, X. Li, C. Kaurich, J. Chang, M. Gu, L. Cheng, X. Lu, and F. Guo*. “Rapid profiling of tumor-immune interaction using acoustically assembled patient-derived cell clusters.” Advanced Science, 2201478, 2022.
  • Z. Ao, H. Cai, Z. Wu, L. Hu, X. Li, C. Kaurich, M. Gu, L. Cheng, X. Lu, and F. Guo*. “Evaluation of cancer immunotherapy using mini-tumor chips.” Theranostics, 12(8):3628-3636, 2022.Cover story.
  • Z. Ao, H. Cai, Z. Wu, J. Krzesniak, C. Tian, Y. Lai, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Human spinal organoid-on-a-chip to model nociceptive circuitry for pain therapeutics discovery.” Analytical Chemistry, 94(2):1365-1372, 2022.
  • Z. Ao#, H. Cai#, Z. Wu, J. Ott, H. Wang, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Controllable fusion of human brain organoids using acoustofluidics.” Lab on a Chip, 21(4):688-699, 2021.Back cover. #Equal contribution.
  • H. Cai, Z. Ao, Z. Wu, S. Song, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Intelligent acoustofluidics enabled mini-bioreactors for human brain organoids.” Lab on a Chip, 21:2194-2205, 2021.
  • Z. Wu, H. Cai, Z. Ao, J. Xu, S. Heaps, and F. Guo*. “Microfluidic printing of tunable hollow microfibers for vascular tissue engineering.” Advanced Materials Technology, 2000683, 2021.
  • Z. Ao, H. Cai, Z. Wu, S. Song, H. Karahan, B. Kim, H.-C. Lu, J. Kim, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “Tubular human brain organoids to model microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.” Lab on a Chip, 21:2751-2762, 2021.
  • H. Cai, Z. Ao, L. Hu, Y. Moon, Z. Wu, H.-C. Lu, J. Kim, and F. Guo*. “Acoustofluidic assembly of 3D neurospheroids to model Alzheimer’s disease.” Analyst, 145:6243-6253, 2020.Cover story.
  • H. Cai, Z. Wu, Z. Ao, A. Nunez, B. Chen, L. Jiang, M. Bondesson, and F. Guo*. “Trapping cell spheroids and organoids using digital acoustofluidics.” Biofabrication, 12:035025, 2020.
  • H. Cai, Z. Ao, Z. Wu, A. Nunez, L. Jiang, R. Carpenter, K. Nephew, and F. Guo*. “Profiling cell-matrix adhesion using digitalized acoustic streaming.” Analytical Chemistry, 92:2283-2290, 2020.
  • Z. Wu, Z. Gong, Z. Ao, J. Xu, H. Cai, M. Muhsen, S. Heaps, M. Bondesson, S.-S. Guo, and F. Guo*. “Rapid microfluidic formation of uniform patient-derived breast tumor spheroids.” ACS Applied Biomaterials, 3:6273-6283, 2020.
  • Z. Ao, H. Cai, D. Havert, Z. Wu, Z. Gong, J. Beggs, K. Mackie, and F. Guo*. “One-stop microfluidic assembly of human brain organoids to model prenatal cannabis exposure.” Analytical Chemistry, 92(6):4630-4638, 2020.
  • Z. Wu, H. Cai, Z. Ao, A. Nunez, H. Liu, M. Bondesson, S.-S. Guo, and F. Guo*. “A digital acoustofluidic pump powered by localized fluid-substrate interactions.” Analytical Chemistry, 91:7097-7103, 2019.
  • J. Xu, R. Danehy, Z. Ao, H. Cai, M. Pu, A. Nusawardhana, D. Rowe, and F. Guo*. “Microneedle patch-mediated treatment of bacterial biofilms.” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11:14640-14646, 2019.
  • B. Chen, Y. Wu, Z. Ao, H. Cai, A. Nunez, Y. Liu, J. Foley, K. Nephew, X. Lu, and F. Guo*. “High-throughput acoustofluidic fabrication of tumor spheroids.” Lab on a Chip, 19:1755-1763, 2019.

See the full Patent list, or view my CV.