ProfessorRongjun Chen

Biography

2022 to date Professor of Biomaterials Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
2019-2022 Reader in Biomaterials Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
2016-2019 Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
2013-2016 Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
2009-2013 Tenure-track Group Leader and BHRC Senior Translational Research Fellow, University of Leeds
2006-2009 Postdoctoral Research Assistant/Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge
2003-2007 PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
2000-2003 MSc in Materials Science, Tsinghua University, China
1995-1999 BEng in Chemical Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, China

News

11 November 2025

Our partnership with GSK has been extended, which is featured on the Imperial website (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/271574/imperial-gsk-extend-collaboration-tackle-global/). It builds on the successful first phase collaboration aiming to eliminate cold-chain requirements for RNA vaccines. This extension will focus on advancing in vivo testing of GSK's mRNA vaccines encapsulated in revolutionary thermostable lipid nanoparticles developed in my research group.

15 June 2024
Our partnership with GSK to eliminate costly cold-chain storage of RNA vaccines is featured on the Imperial website (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/254134/gsk-imperial-eliminate-costly-cold-chain-storage/). Our patented, ground-breaking formulations have shown remarkable promise in protecting RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics and carrying them more effectively into cells. These formulations can enhance stability even at tropical temperatures and substantially reduce the dosage required for treatment. This partnership signifies a pivotal moment in our journey to unlock the full potential of RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, and will pave the way for safer, more effective and affordable treatments against a range of diseases.

The technology datasheet about the two patents is available on the Imperial.tech website (https://imperial.tech/our-technologies/lipid-nanoparticle-technologies-thermostable-rna-formulations/).

02 June 2021
Our work on human thrombus-specific delivery of tPA and targeted thrombolytic therapy (Science Advances 2021, 7, eabf9033) is featured on the Imperial website (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/222713/blood-clot-busting-nanocapsules-could-reduce-existing/): "Blood clot-busting nanocapsules could reduce existing treatment’s side effects".

05 March 2021
Our work on DMSO-free cryopreservation of therapeutic cells based on our granted patents in Europe and US is featured on the Imperial website (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/216573/new-platform-technology-could-reduce-cost/): “New platform technology could reduce the cost of cell therapies”.