Hongshen Ma, University of British Columbia

Research

Microfluidics Circulating Tumor Cells Deformability Transfusion Cell Sorting Cell Deformability Prostate Cancer Cell Separation

Latest papers

Regularized Single-Cell Imaging Enables Generalizable AI Models for Stain-Free Cell Viability Screening.
Small methods · 2026 · senior author
Vibration-Assisted Magnetic (VibroMag) Cell Separation for Robotic Liquid Handling Platforms.
Analytical chemistry · 2025 · senior author
High-throughput single cell motility analysis using nanowell-in-microwells.
Lab on a chip · 2025 · senior author

All 46 publications

Latest funding

Red Blood Cell Deformability and Imaging as Biomarkers of Circulatory Clearance Time
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$853,740
Behaviour-based cell separation to interrogate host cell heterogeneity in CAR-T cell therapies
CIHR · 2022 · Nominated PI
$864,450
Image-based cell sorting
NSERC · 2022 · Principal investigator
$20,000

All 25 grants and awards

46 publications.

01

Regularized Single-Cell Imaging Enables Generalizable AI Models for Stain-Free Cell Viability Screening.

Deng P, Jang D, Berryman SG, Duffy SP, Ma H

Small methods2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202501369 PMID: 41574984

02

Vibration-Assisted Magnetic (VibroMag) Cell Separation for Robotic Liquid Handling Platforms.

Xu J, Deng P, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H

Analytical chemistry2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c04557 PMID: 41108628

03

High-throughput single cell motility analysis using nanowell-in-microwells.

Deng P, Lyu W, Jang D, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H

Lab on a chip2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d5lc00478k PMID: 40660900

04

Red blood cells with reduced deformability are selectively cleared from circulation in a mouse model.

Islamzada E, Matthews K, Lamoureux ES, Duffy SP, Scott MD, Ma H

Blood advances2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024014100 PMID: 40198767

05

How donor age affects RBC deformability in storage.

Matthews K, Ma H

Blood advances2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015257 PMID: 39946162

06

Single cell glucose-stimulated insulin secretion assay using nanowell-in-microwell plates.

Jang D, Matthews K, Deng P, Berryman SG, Nian C, Duffy SP, Lynn FC, Ma H

Lab on a chip2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00413b PMID: 39212929

07

Biophysical profiling of red blood cells from thin-film blood smears using deep learning.

Lamoureux ES, Cheng Y, Islamzada E, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H

Heliyon2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35276 PMID: 39170127

08

Auto-amplification and spatial propagation of neutrophil extracellular traps.

Deng P, Xu A, Grin PM, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H

Communications biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06074-z PMID: 38553656

09

Data for assessing red blood cell deformability from microscopy images using deep learning.

Lamoureux ES, Islamzada E, Wiens MVJ, Matthews K, Duffy SP, Ma H

Data in brief2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.108928 PMID: 36798597

10

See-N-Seq: RNA sequencing of target single cells identified by microscopy via micropatterning of hydrogel porosity.

Lee JH, Park ES, Choi JR, Matthews K, Lam AV, Deng X, Duffy SP, Ma H

Communications biology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03703-3 PMID: 35908100

Red Blood Cell Deformability and Imaging as Biomarkers of Circulatory Clearance Time

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

Keywords: Blood Banking; Blood Donation; Blood Quality; Circulation; Deformability; Hemoglobinopathy; Machine Learning; Microfluidics; Red Blood Cell; Transfusion

$853,740

Behaviour-based cell separation to interrogate host cell heterogeneity in CAR-T cell therapies

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

Keywords: Automation; Car-T; Cell Sorting; Hydrogel; Microscopy; Single Cell Analysis; Single Cell Sequencing; T Cell; Transcriptomics

$864,450

Image-based cell sorting

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Idea to Innovation

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$20,000

Wide-field microscope to support research programs in image cytometry and image-based cell separation

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$150,000

Microscopy-based cell separation, selective propagation, and selective single cell sequencing

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$234,000

Non-contact screening technology to expedite cell line development for antibody production

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

Keywords: Antibody; Biologics; Bioproduction; Cell Line Development; Drug Development; Screening

$524,026

Deformability based Cell Sorting Enabling Quality Control of Stored Red Blood Cells

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Collaborative Health Research Projects

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$312,155

Deformability based Cell Sorting Enabling Quality Control of Stored Red Blood Cells

Nominated PICIHR2018Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen; Sheffield, William P; Scott, Mark D

Keywords: Blood Banking; Cell Deformability; Cell Sorting; Instrumentation; Microfluidics; Red Blood Cell; Storage Lesion; Transfusion

$312,155

Preliminary Studies for Point-Of-Care Immunoassay

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$25,000

Development of Technologies for Rapid Isolation and Genome Sequencing of Single Circulating Tumor Cells in Prostate Cancer

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Collaborative Health Research Projects

Principal investigators: Ma, Hongshen

$489,780

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Mechanical Engineering
Family Practice
Urologic Sciences

Co-authors at University of British Columbia, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Ryan Flannigan

Urologic Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Li Li

Family Practice

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Microfluidics Dear Professor Ma, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Regularized Single-Cell Imaging Enables Generalizable AI Models for Stain-Free Cell Viability Screening." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Red Blood Cell Deformability and Imaging as Biomarkers of Circulatory Clearance Time" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]