Jessica Rouge

Jessica Rouge is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on engineering enzymes and nucleic acids to develop targeted chemical and biological systems for sensing, diagnostics, and therapeutics. She earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from Boston College (2006), a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Colorado (2012), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University (2013–2015).

Her group investigates nucleic acid nanocapsules for drug delivery, including CRISPR-based assays and endosomal escape mechanisms. Recent work explores viral mimicry in nanocarrier design and stimuli-responsive systems for controlled release of therapeutics. Key projects include Alzheimer’s miRNA biomarker sensors and enzyme-responsive drug delivery platforms. Rouge leads the Rouge Group, advancing interdisciplinary approaches at the interface of chemistry and medicine.