Skip to Content
Alumni profile

Juliana Chan, PhD ’10

Biotechnologist and magazine editor in chief
August 18, 2015

During her MIT years, ­Juliana Chan could often be found at a lab bench, researching nanoparticle drug delivery technologies, or blogging on her laptop, reporting news about the Asian scientific community.

Juliana Chan, PhD ’10

Today, back in her native Singapore, Chan has scaled up both activities to impressive levels. A fellowship at the city-state’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research led her to an assistant professorship and a $750,000 startup grant to open her own multidisciplinary lab at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

And her blog, with an investment from a major scientific publishing company, has evolved into Asian Scientist magazine. The glossy quarterly journal offers in-depth coverage of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials science, and other disciplines, with Chan as editor in chief.

“I’ve always liked writing and been a fangirl of magazines like MIT Technology Review and Scientific American,” says Chan, who earned her BA and MA in natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. “I noticed that no one was writing about great Asian scientists, even though there’s so much hunger for knowledge in Asian countries. I have no journalism training, so it’s crazy that I have a magazine, but it really makes me happy.”

Meanwhile, Chan’s six-person research team is pursuing the use of nanoparticles to treat cardiovascular and skin diseases—work inspired by her PhD studies in the biotech-materials lab of Institute Professor Robert Langer, ScD ’74, and her postdoc work in biological engineering with Professor Roger Kamm, SM ’73, PhD ’77.

The dermatological work is especially important in Asia, she notes, “because conditions like eczema and psoriasis are very common and the current standard of care is steroid creams, which can thin the skin.” Nanoparticles could deliver greatly reduced dosages directly to inflamed tissue, leading to better results with lower risk.

Honors have been numerous—Chan has received a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award and a Singapore Youth Award, and she was recently accepted into the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders. She was also named to MIT Technology Review’s 2014 regional Innovators Under 35 and now serves as a judge for the program.

Chan met her husband, Chester Drum, at the Langer Lab, where he was a postdoc; he’s now a cardiology consultant and assistant professor at the National University of Singapore. Chan says that since the 2013 birth of their daughter, Heather, “we have no leisure time, but I don’t care because I love playing with her so much.”

Keep Reading

Most Popular

This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI

The tool, called Nightshade, messes up training data in ways that could cause serious damage to image-generating AI models. 

Everything you need to know about artificial wombs

Artificial wombs are nearing human trials. But the goal is to save the littlest preemies, not replace the uterus.

Rogue superintelligence and merging with machines: Inside the mind of OpenAI’s chief scientist

An exclusive conversation with Ilya Sutskever on his fears for the future of AI and why they’ve made him change the focus of his life’s work.

Data analytics reveal real business value

Sophisticated analytics tools mine insights from data, optimizing operational processes across the enterprise.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.