“ FATHER OF BIOMECHANICS ”
ANYONE WHO WORKS IN THE FIELD of biomechanics — or the mechanics of living tissues — knows about Y . C . “ Bert ” Fung . Some use Fung ’ s findings in their work , others were trained by or worked with Fung ’ s students , while a core group was lucky enough to study directly under him .
In September , more than a hundred researchers from all over the world came to campus to celebrate Fung ’ s 100th birthday and a career that earned him the nickname of “ Father of Biomechanics .”
For all his notoriety in the field , Fung began his career studying aeronautics at Caltech in the late 1940s and early ’ 50s . In 1958 , however , his mother developed acute glaucoma back home in China , and Fung immersed himself in research on the subject , even translating journal articles for his mother ’ s physicians . That ’ s when he realized that the mechanical forces and physical phenomena that governed living tissues were largely a mystery .
“ I turned to bioengineering , with a focus on people ,” Fung has said , “ because I felt that although we know so much about airplanes , we don ’ t know much about ourselves .”
Fung sought a younger university , one with a medical school and more freedom to pursue the new field he envisioned . He joined UC San Diego in 1966 , and over the next 24 years , he , his colleagues and students analyzed the mechanics of all kinds of living tissues : blood vessels , skin , cartilage , lungs and more .
Fung is known for formulating an essential law of how soft tissue deforms under stress , a central element in car safety design . Even today , all crash tests rely on these fundamental studies , and the law has also helped researchers develop artificial skin grafts that better mimic natural properties and accelerate healing .
Fung later turned his attention to hypertension after the condition beset his wife , Luna , an equally founding figure for UC San Diego ’ s International Center . Fung poured himself into microcirculation — how blood moves in the body ’ s smallest vessels — and developed theories that shed light on pulmonary circulation , hypertension , edema and respiratory distress syndrome .
“ After many years in the field , I really think that an interdisciplinary area is not just the one area plus another ,” Fung said in a 2000 oral history project . “ It ’ s the new product in between , which is neither of the mother fields . The interesting part is the new in-between part .”
Fung had just as much impact as a teacher , and was always willing to help his students . Erin McGurk , MS ’ 86 , for instance , was struggling in her master ’ s program but hesitant to seek help from such a prominent figure . When she finally worked up the courage to approach him , Fung spent two hours explaining the subject area and helping with her homework .
“ We know so much about airplanes , [ but ] we don ’ t know much about ourselves .”
— Y . C . “ BERT ” FUNG
“ That moment was my catalyst to decide that I could do this ,” she said in 2007 . McGurk went on to lead a biotech company that used Fung ’ s principles to develop minimally invasive devices that treat cancer , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema .
“ Fung taught his graduate students by letting them explore and attempt to solve the problems by themselves ,” says Fung ’ s first PhD student , Frank Yin , PhD ’ 70 , MD ’ 73 . Yin and many other students of Fung would go on to lead , if not start , bioengineering departments at universities across the country . It ’ s a testament to his nickname as “ father ” of the field — even one of Fung ’ s grandchildren , Tony Fung ’ 18 , is a now a bioengineering graduate student on campus .
Along with the academic renown and scholarship , Fung is most celebrated for his sense of joy and kindness . “ He is the most joyful individual ,” says Geert Schmid-Schoenbein , PhD ’ 76 , yet another student now a UC San Diego professor . “ When you step into a building , you can tell where he is just by the sound of his laughter .” And when Fung was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2000 , he accepted the award at the White House , with a smile .
— Ioana Patringenaru
Y . C . “ Bert ” Fung passed away December 15 , 2019 , just before this issue went to press . Visit tritonmag . com / fung for more about his life and remembrances .
Did Margaret Burbidge , Bert Fung or any other UC San Diego professor make an impact on you ? Send your memories to tritonmag @ ucsd . edu for a future issue .
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