About my work
I work in the multidisciplinary field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, where the integration of ideas and techniques across disciplines truly allows us to reach new frontiers in STEM. In my research I work across the fields of cell and molecular biology, materials science, nanotechnology, biomanufacturing, and data science, and with people across sectors from researchers and clinicians to patients and the community. We are now at the brink of building whole organs and developing cures for previously incurable diseases – unimaginable a few decades back.
I have a specific interest in musculoskeletal tissues where associated chronic diseases cause lifelong disability in hundreds of millions of people globally. Osteoarthritis alone costs the Australian healthcare system more than $23 billion annually. One of my current projects is on developing a new therapy for osteoarthritis that makes use of the nanoscale packages produced by stem cells, containing a wealth of bioactive factors. I am looking into optimising these as an off-the-shelf “magic potion” that can become a personalised therapy for patients with osteoarthritis. In parallel, I’m looking into biomaterial solutions to effectively deliver these into patients.
A memorable win
I was very fortunate to have been the winner of Falling Walls Lab Australia 2021. Falling Walls Lab is a world-class research pitch competition for creators and innovators across STEM disciplines. I progressed to the national level competition after winning Falling Walls Lab NSW, among 10 finalists from the NSW/ACT/TAS regions. At the national competition with 9 finalists who were all winners selected from state-based competitions, I was stoked to have won first place! The national competition was judged by a distinguished jury including Australia’s Chief Scientist, CEO of MTPConnect, and President of the Australian Academy of Science. I am so very proud of this achievement as it reflected the recognition of my work both in scientific quality and research communication. I also represented Australia (virtually) in the hybrid Falling Walls Lab global competition, among >70 winners from across the world.
This achievement would not have been possible without the training provided to me as a 2021-22 Superstar of STEM, as one of 60 Australian women selected by Science & Technology Australia to act as role models and increase the representation of women in STEM to our community and younger generation. A big thank you also to UTS for providing me and other women in STEM with the support we need to excel, push boundaries, and break barriers together.
Bio: As a biomedical engineer working in regenerative medicine, I envision a future where stem cells and bioactive materials can be ‘personalised’ to provide optimal treatments for major diseases. I am currently developing regenerative therapies for bone and joint disorders – debilitating diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people, old and young across the globe.
As a Lecturer in biomedical engineering at UTS, I love working with people from around the world with different backgrounds, skills and experiences to jointly solve medical challenges, and passing on the passion of creating STEM solutions to the next generation. My work has attracted a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) fellowship, finalist recognition for the Research Australia Discovery Award 2021, career achievement awards from national societies in matrix biology (MBSANZ) and tissue repair (AWTRS), and >20 awards for my publications and research presentations, including as the national winner of Falling Walls Lab Australia 2021. I am also Co-Deputy Director on the $7M Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Innovative BioEngineering. I am passionate about promoting STEM to the public community, which is further enabled by my role as a Science & Technology Australia 2021-22 Superstar of STEM.
Websites
UTS profile page: https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Jiaojiao.Li