Jenny (Yunjia) Qu, Ph.D.

Jenny (Yunjia) Qu, Ph.D., is a bioengineer and researcher driven by a passion for advancing precision medicine through molecular and cellular engineering. Currently completing her Ph.D. in Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering, Jenny’s work bridges synthetic biology and immunotherapy. Her research explores a wide range of innovative areas, including ultrasound-inducible gene circuits, CAR-T cell engineering, 3D bioprinting of tumor models, and the mechanogenetic control of immune responses. She has led and collaborated on projects utilizing CRISPR screening, mechanotransduction analysis, and synthetic biology circuit design across bacterial, mammalian, and mouse systems.

Before UC San Diego, Jenny conducted research at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, where she investigated the biomechanical behavior of cancer and bone cells under compression, shedding light on how cellular mechanics influence cancer invasion and osteoblast signaling. Her early research experiences at institutions such as Fudan University and the State Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology in Shanghai further honed her interdisciplinary perspective—spanning from probiotic biology to materials engineering.

Beyond the lab, Jenny serves as a Scientific Writer and Blog Editor at Geekheal, where she translates complex scientific discoveries into accessible insights for broader audiences. Guided by a systems-level approach, she is committed to developing new biotechnological tools that integrate engineering principles with biological understanding to drive innovation in cancer treatment and immunotherapy. Jenny is always eager to collaborate with fellow scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of synthetic biology and immunoengineering.

• UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering- Ph.D.
• University of Michigan- M.S.
• University of Michigan- B.S.

• Biomedical Engineering Society