Meihua Yu

Dr Meihua Yu is a NHMRC Early Career Fellow in Prof Ian Frazer’s lab, University Queensland Diamantina Institute (UQDI). She received her PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ in 2014, under the guidance of Prof Chengzhong (Michael) Yu.

Dr Yu’s current research focuses on developing nanotechnology vaccines for the treatment of diseases and cancers. She has extensive experience in development of sophisticated nanotechnology with controllable architecture, composition and functionality, and delivery of anticancer drugs, genetic molecules and therapeutic proteins for enhanced cancer treatment.

Dr Yu was awarded two prestigious fellowships (Advance Queensland Research Fellow in 2016 and a NHMRC Early Career Fellow in 2017). She has secured over $1.2 million in funding from internal and external funding agencies (UQ Early Career grant, ARC Linkage, Queensland Biomedical Assistance Fund). In recognition of her research achievements, she was awarded the prestigious 2017 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award, the 2017 Monash Engineering Women Leader Award and the 2018 Frazer Family Foundation Travel Award.

Dr Yu has published 59 papers in international top refereed journals such as Journal of the American Chemical Society, Small, Chemical Communications, Nanoscale, and so on. Her innovative research has led to three patents. She has actively explored the potential of these discoveries in commercial translation by engaging with industry partners (e.g. Ridley, Ellume, Jingang Medicines).

Dr Yu is an invited reviewer for national grants (e.g. ARC DP and ARC DECRA) and 19 journals including Vaccines, ACS Omega, Biomaterials Science and Journal of Hazardous Materials.