Zhao Wenting

Dr. Zhao Wenting is an Assistant Professor at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB) within the College of Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. She leads a multidisciplinary research group focused on nanoscale engineering of biological systems, with expertise in membrane curvature, nuclear mechanics, and biomolecular organization.

Dr. Zhao received her Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering from Zhejiang University in China, followed by a Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). She completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University before establishing her independent research laboratory at NTU. Her educational background bridges engineering, chemistry, and biology, enabling her unique approach to cellular biophysics.

Her research program focuses on engineering the nanoscale organization of biological systems and uncovering the nanoscale interplay between cells and their environment in both physiological and pathological conditions. Dr. Zhao's group develops innovative nanofabrication technologies to manipulate nano- to micro-scale biophysical properties of subcellular components, with particular emphasis on plasma membrane and nuclear envelope deformations to study cancer, aging, and infectious diseases. Her laboratory has pioneered techniques for using nanopillar arrays to guide subcellular deformations and study cellular responses.

Dr. Zhao's research has resulted in numerous high-impact publications in journals such as Nature Nanotechnology, PNAS, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Nature Protocols, and Accounts of Chemical Research. Her work demonstrates expertise in nanoscale manipulation of membrane curvature, nuclear deformation, and biomolecular condensation, with applications spanning cancer diagnostics, viral infection mechanisms, and smart biomedical devices.

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology
• Ageing
• Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology
• Cancer Research
• Mechanobiology
• Membrane Biology
• Cellular Physics

Dr. Zhao has secured competitive research funding from multiple sources including the Ministry of Education, NTUitive Pte Ltd, and the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Young Investigator Grant. Her laboratory actively recruits talents from diverse backgrounds including engineers, biologists, and material scientists, and maintains active collaborations with institutions worldwide such as Yale University and Freie Universität Berlin.