Rate My Professor Khoon Lim

Associate Professor Khoon Lim is a biomedical engineer with specialization in polymer chemistry at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering (Hons 1), Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, and PhD in Biomedical Engineering, all from the University of New South Wales. Currently serving as Group Leader of the Light Activated Biomaterials (LAB) Group, Rutherford Discovery Fellow, and Sir Charles Hercus Fellow, his research focuses on photo-polymerizable hydrogel bioinks for 3D bioprinting of functional tissues, smart delivery of growth factors for bone regeneration, engineering 3D cancer models for drug screening, delivery of brain-derived growth factors for post-stroke recovery, and engineering silk as tissue engineering matrices. He leads collaborative projects with international partners in Germany, Netherlands, Australia, China, and Scotland.

Lim has attracted over $4.5 million in research grant funding, including $3.5 million as principal investigator, and is lead inventor on a full utility patent filed in Canada, China, New Zealand, Australia, America, Europe, and South Korea. His accolades include the 2022 Jean Leray Award from the European Society for Biomaterials, 2022 Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Asia Pacific Region Young Investigator Award, 2021 Emerging Investigator Award from the Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, 2021 Leadership Award from University of Otago Christchurch, 2020 Early Career Award for Distinction in Research from University of Otago, 2018 Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Biofabrication, and several others. Notable publications encompass 'Gelatin-methacryloyl hydrogel stiffness influences epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MCF7 but not MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in 3D culture' (Biology Open, 2026), 'Characterization of an injectable poly(vinyl alcohol)-gelatin hydrogel for growth factor delivery in an orthopedic application' (Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2026), 'Fundamentals and Applications of Photo-Cross-Linking in Bioprinting' (Chemical Reviews, 2020), and 'Bio-resin for high resolution lithography-based biofabrication of complex constructs' (Biofabrication, 2018). His contributions have garnered over 7,300 citations, underscoring substantial impact in biomaterials and tissue engineering.