<Jia-En Danny Chen> — HTBAA Fall 2026

About me

My name is Jia-En Chen, and I usually go by Danny. I am originally from Taiwan and am currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at University College London. My research focuses on developing patient-specific, 3D-printed anatomical models for surgical simulation and training, particularly in neurosurgery.

My academic journey has always been interdisciplinary. I began with a background in public health before moving into automation and control engineering, medical 3D printing, and digital fabrication. In 2014, I founded the Medical Fablab at the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan, where I worked with clinicians, engineers, and students to explore how fabrication technologies could address real healthcare challenges. I have also taught Python programming and medical 3D printing and contributed to clinical research, publications, patents, and educational programmes.

My connection with the HTBAA community began as an international student in 2016. The programme introduced me to synthetic biology and fundamentally changed how I understood the relationship between biology, engineering, and fabrication. Since 2022, I have continued contributing as a Global Teaching Assistant.

I am particularly interested in combining biological systems, advanced manufacturing, and human-centred design to create accessible tools for healthcare and education. I enjoy building collaborative communities where people from different disciplines can experiment, learn from one another, and transform ideas into meaningful real-world applications.

Contact info

• LinkedIn

Homework, Labs, and Projects

See the nav bar on the left to look through my work for How To Biomanufacture Almost Anything (Fall 2026)!