Justin Cooper-White

Professor Justin Cooper-White is Head of School and Professor of Bioengineering at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland. He holds affiliate appointments at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and serves as Director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility-Queensland Node, Research Director of the Herston Biofabrication Institute, and co-Director of the Australian Organoid Facility. His leadership extends to past presidencies of the Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and Australian Society of Rheology.

Cooper-White's research focuses on decoding microenvironmental cues governing stem cell behavior and tissue genesis, with emphasis on aging-related tissue dysfunction. His team develops innovative biomicrodevices, engineered surfaces, and advanced scaffolds for regenerative applications. Key research domains include:

• Smart biomaterials for tissue engineering
• Mechanotransduction signaling pathways
• Stem cell niche engineering
• Microfluidic platforms for high-throughput screening
• Nanoparticle-based tissue rejuvenation

His publication portfolio demonstrates strong interdisciplinary integration across biomedical engineering, materials science, and computational biology. Recent work emphasizes multiscale tissue modeling, stem cell reprogramming, organoid systems, and advanced biomaterial characterization. Biomechanics and mechanobiology emerge as unifying themes, with significant focus on spinal disorders and cardiovascular aging.

Awards and recognitions include:

• Fellowship in the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering
• Fellowship in the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences
• CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive Science Leader
• Visiting Professorships at ETH Zurich and Politecnico di Milano

He has secured over $57M in competitive funding, including ARC Discovery Projects and NHMRC grants. Current doctoral supervision spans regenerative engineering, stem cell biomanufacturing, and neural tissue regeneration. He leads international collaborations with institutions including MIT, Stanford, ETH Zurich, and Max Planck Institute, while maintaining industry partnerships with Unilever, Nestle, and Syngenta.

As Editor-in-Chief of APL Bioengineering, Cooper-White shapes publication standards in the field. His laboratory develops transformative technologies including patented microbioreactor arrays and tissue engineering scaffolds commercialized through Australian and US ventures.