Background:
Prof. Jinju Chen leads pioneering research in Advanced Materials and Biointerfaces, addressing critical global challenges in healthcare, biomechanics, and net-zero sustainability. Her interdisciplinary expertise spans materials science, biophysics, and computational modelling, offering students a dynamic and high-impact research environment at the intersection of engineering, biology, medicine, marine, and wastewater treatment. Her research has been supported by a range of funding bodies, including EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, EU, and industry partners, contributing to a total research income of £9.6 million, of which £2.87 million was secured as Principal Investigator. She has been recognized on the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List for 2025. She has served as the primary supervisor for more than 25 postdoctoral research associates and PhD students. All of them have secured permanent academic jobs (e.g., lectureships in the UK), research posts at top universities (e.g., University of Oxford, ETH, Zurich), and industrial jobs (e.g., Nikon Ltd, ANSYS Ltd). She delivered over 95 invited lectures and presentations at prestigious conferences and seminars, such as International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (Singapore), Isaac Newton Institute at University of Cambridge.
Prof. Chen began her academic career with a BEng in Engineering, followed by a PhD in fracture mechanics of thin coatings on glass. Her doctoral work integrated mathematical modelling, finite element analysis, and nanoindentation techniques, and was completed in 2 years and 9 months. This research led to 8 first-authored journal publications, demonstrating her early commitment to research excellence and productivity. While still completing her PhD (4 months before finishing her thesis), she secured a research assistantship to work on multiscale modelling of thin coatings, balancing advanced research with academic progression. Her growing interest in the mechanics and physics of biological systems led her to Queen Mary University of London, where she transitioned into cell and tissue engineering, expanding her expertise into biomedical applications.
She has been worked as Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader at School of Mechanical & System Engineering/School of Engineering at Newcastle University. Her academic trajectory culminated in her appointment to a Personal Chair in Advanced Materials and Biointerfaces at Loughborough University in December 2023, where she currently serves as Research Director for Materials. She has also held leadership roles, including Director of Postgraduate Research and Deputy Research Director at School of Engineering at Newcastle University, University Senate Member at Loughborough.
Qualifications:
- PhD (Newcastle University)
Research interests:
Biofilm-related infections represent a global burden exceeding $5 trillion annually, with device-associated infections (e.g., central venous catheters) alone costing $11.5 billion worldwide. These infections contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which the WHO projects will surpass cancer and diabetes as a leading cause of death by 2050.
Prof. Chen’s group has developed antibiotic-free materials that reduce biofilm formation by 2–4 orders of magnitude, offering a promising alternative to conventional treatments. This work is supported by EPSRC and BBSRC funding.
Her team also investigates the biophysics of bacterial cell walls, using novel experimental and modelling approaches to quantify cell wall stiffness and turgor pressure under mechanical and chemical stimuli. This research is funded by EU/EPSRC and CSC studentships.
Tissue Engineering & Biomechanics
Prof. Chen’s group has developed computational frameworks to study cell–biomaterial interactions (computational tissue engineering), alongside designing hydrogels for regenerative medicine. Her biomechanics research includes:
- Rapid characterisation tools for biofilms and soft tissues (custom-built hardware/software), funded by EPSRC/BBSRC
- Finite element and agent-based modelling of tissues, biofilms, cells, and bacterial mechanics, funded by EPSRC
In collaboration with the U.S. FDA, her recent work on optical safety thresholds for brain tissue may inform future regulatory standards for implantable devices. She has also explored the impact of osmotic conditions on brain mechanics (Scientific Reports, 2023).
Key research areas:
- Antibiofilm surfaces
- Soft Matter
- Biophysics of cells and tissues
- Multiscale modelling
- Hydrogels for tissue engineering
- Surface wetting, anti-icing, and anti-dust coatings
- Marine biofilm management
- Wastewater treatment
- Li-ion battery materials
- Fracture mechanics and interfacial failure
- Nanoindentation and tribology
- Antifouling coatings
Grants and Contracts:
- £9.6M total research income (£2.87M as Principal Investigator)
Selected Funded Projects:
- 2013-2019: A New Frontier in Design: The Simulation of Open Engineered Biological Systems, one of the only five prestigious Frontier Awards (c.a. £5.58 million) funded by EPSRC, strategic Co-investigator and team leader for the theme of Biomechanics and Flow within the project. Within this Frontier Award grant, I am the line manager and supervisor of 3 PDRAs.
- 2018-2020: Multiscale characterization of complex materials using a combination of atomic force microscopy and optical coherence tomography, funded by EPSRC (PI, £487k).
- 2019-2021: Marine biofilm management, BBSRC NBIC, PI, £100k
- 2021-2022: Novel Anti-biofilm surfaces, BBSRC NBIC, PI, £50k
- 2022-2025: Biofilm Resistant Liquid-like Solid Surfaces in Flow Situations, funded by EPSRC (overall PI, c.a. £935 in total, with £458k to my team).
- 2024-2026: Unravel the biomechanics of bacteria, EPSRC Horizon Europe Guarantee grant, £205k, PI
Why Join Prof. Chen’s Group?
Researchers (post-doc and students) in Prof. Chen’s group benefit from:
- Access to cutting-edge research in materials, biophysics, and computational modelling
- Opportunities to collaborate with clinicians, industry leaders, and international research institutions
- Training in advanced experimental techniques, simulation tools, and interdisciplinary problem-solving
- Mentorship from a globally recognised academic, with a proven track record of guiding students into prestigious academic and industrial careers
Her group is ideal for students who are curious, driven, and eager to make a tangible impact through science and engineering.
We warmly invite talented researchers to apply for prestigious fellowships—such as the Newton Fellowship, Marie Curie Fellowship, EMBO Fellowship, NSF Fellowship, and others—to be hosted within our research group. We are committed to supporting outstanding scientists in advancing their careers and contributing to cutting-edge research.
Available PhD Projects:
- Innovative Antibiofilm Strategies
Develop next-generation, antibiotic-free materials to combat biofilm-related infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with applications in healthcare and medical devices. - Next-Generation Solar Cells
Explore advanced materials and surface engineering techniques to enhance the efficiency, durability, and sustainability of solar energy technologies. - AI-Driven Materials Design
Apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate the discovery and optimisation of functional materials for energy, healthcare, and environmental applications. - Bio-Inspired Materials
Design and fabricate materials that mimic biological systems, enabling breakthroughs in soft robotics, tissue engineering, and adaptive surfaces. - Computational Tissue Engineering
Use multiscale modelling and simulation to understand cell–material interactions and guide the design of biomaterials for regenerative medicine. - Physics of Bacteria
Investigate the mechanical and biophysical properties of bacterial cells to inform novel antimicrobial strategies and understand microbial behaviour under stress. - Advanced Sensor Technologies for Healthcare or Aerospace Applications
Current teaching responsibilities:
Taught modules:
- MPB033 Engineering Design
- MPP509 Advances in Biomaterials
- MPC103 Industrial Case Studies
- MPC108 Surface Engineering
Project supervisions:
- MPC110: Materials individual projects
- CGC054: Bioengineering individual projects
- MPD101: Bioengineering team project
Current administration responsibilities:
- Research Director (Materials)
Recent publications:
- Transforming Siliconization into Slippery Liquid-like Coatings, Progress in Organic Coatings, 210 (2026) 109651;
- Numerical investigation of sheathless inertial particle migration and separation approach with a microstructure-patterned channel, Powder Technology 465 (2025) 121284
- Long-Term Antibiofilm Efficacy of Slippery Covalently-Attached Liquid-Like Surfaces in Dynamic and Static Culture Conditions, ACS Applied Bio Materials, 8 (2025)5660–5669
- Recent advances in hydrogel-based biosensors for cancer detection, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 16 (2024), 46988–47002
- Microstructural and rheological transitions in bacterial biofilms, Advanced Science 10 (2023) 2207373
- Deciphering the adaption of bacterial cell wall mechanical integrity and turgor to different chemical or mechanical environments, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 640 (2023) 510-520
- Mechanosensing model of fibroblast cells adhered on a substrate with varying stiffness and thickness, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 171 (2023) 105137 Coupled CFD-DEM modelling to predict how EPS affects bacterial biofilm deformation, recovery, and detachment under flow conditions, Biotechnology and Bioengineering 119 (2022) 2551–2563
Strategic Collaborations:
Prof. Chen actively collaborates with Clinicians to translate materials innovations into healthcare solutions, Industry partners to address industrial needs, Regulatory bodies (e.g., FDA) to inform safety standards and policy.
Cross-disciplinary collaborations with colleagues at Loughborough, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Southampton, Cambridge, Sheffield, Ohio, Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Lab, Brisbane, Singapore, etc.
Professional Membership/ Editorial & Advisory Roles:
- UKRI Talent Panel College Membership (2022-present)
- Sigma Xi Full Membership;
- EPSRC peer review college member
- Fellow of Royal Microscope Society
- EPSRC Healthcare Technology Panel Member in 2019
- UKRI COVID panel member in 2020 and 2021.
- Principal Editor, Journal of Materials Research
- Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reports,
- Editorial Board Member, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces
- Materials Research Society;
- Europe Society of Biomechanics;
- Tissue and Cell Engineering Society;
- Institute of Physics;
- UKRI Metamaterials Hub Expert Panel
- EPSRC Open Fellowship Expert Panel
- UKRI Talent Panel
- EPSRC UK-Japan Collaboration Expert Panel
- Reviewer for UKRI (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC) and international funding bodies (e.g., France, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore)
- Past Committee member of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in School of Engineering, Newcastle University
- Past Chair of the Tyne & Wear Materials Society.
- Initiated and chaired the Biointerface symposium at the well-established International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF) in the USA