Dr Junning Chen

I am an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, leading the Tissue Biomechanics and Mechanobiology Group, and serve as Faculty Director of Global Student Recruitment. My research sits at the intersection of biomechanics, biomaterials, advanced imaging, and translational healthcare technologies, with a core focus on musculoskeletal degeneration and treatment. By integrating multiscale imaging, mechanical testing, and computational modelling, I am interested in developing new approaches to enable earlier diagnosis of diseases, optimise surgical planning, guide treatment evaluation, predict patient outcomes, and develop personalised medical solutions.

In 2015, I completed my PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia. I was subsequently awarded two fellowships from the German Research Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, supporting my postdoctoral research at Charité (Universitätsmedizin Berlin) and the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. Since joining Exeter in 2017, I have contributed to research and education across mechanical, materials, and biomedical engineering.

My research has attracted several competitive grants from the UK and international funding bodies. It has been recognised through multiple innovation awards (e.g. OATEch Network+, ImagingBioPro), as well as several best paper and best presentation awards. I work closely with industry partners, including Stryker, Siemens, Adaptix, and ResMed, as well as NHS Trusts and hospitals, with translational success endorsed through an industry fellowship from the Royal Society.

I maintain active international collaborations across Germany, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, China, Canada, and the United States, and serve on the scientific advisory boards of several international institutions and on steering committees for both university-level and regional research networks.

If you are passionate about biomechanics, biomaterials, imaging, or translational healthcare research, I warmly welcome enthusiastic PhD and postdoctoral applicants to join our collaborative and interdisciplinary team.

More Information about Junning

LinkedIn

Google Scholar

ResearchGate