Jennifer Young

Principal Investigator

Research Areas

The Soft Nano-Biomaterials Lab investigates the mechanobiology of the extracellular matrix (ECM), with a focus on how age- and disease-related changes in ECM drive tissue dysfunction. Our past work has revealed how matrix cues (mechanics, composition, and architecture) regulate diverse biological processes, including stem cell differentiation, cancer invasion, and cardiac aging. Building on this, our research centers on two key areas: (1) Tissue mechanobiology: using mechanical mapping, super-resolution microscopy, and spatial omics to characterize the multiscale and dynamic properties of native ECM; and (2) Engineered biomaterials: developing tissue-mimetic platforms to uncover mechanisms that govern cell fate and tissue aging. Collectively, our works aims to contribute a deeper understanding to tissue dysfunction from the perspective of the matrix and identify new opportunities for intervention.

More Information:

09-03-07, Level 9 T-Lab
National University of Singapore
5A Engineering Drive 1
Singapore 117411

Soft Nano-Biomaterials Lab

Jennifer Young was trained as a bioengineer at the University of California Davis (B.S.) and the University of California San Diego (Ph.D.). During her Ph.D. with Prof. Adam Engler, she studied the role of mechanics in cardiac development, and created a hydrogel system capable of mimicking dynamic tissue properties in vitro. Inspired by the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in dictating cell behavior and fate, she joined Prof. Joachim Spatz’s Cellular Biophysics group at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research (Heidelberg, Germany) to study the contribution of nanoscale ECM cues to cellular function. Here, she discovered that variations in nanoscale ligand presentation alone affect chemoresistance in breast cancer cells, which has great implications in cancer treatment strategies. Her work at the MBI and NUS BME will continue to identify nanoscale ECM properties and unravel their contribution to cellular behavior in a diverse set of biological environments.

BS in Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis
PhD in Bioengineering, University of California San Diego

1. Ho, C.Z., Lawther, D.B., Huang, C.B., Bharathkumar, S., Beh, S.W., Poon, E.W., Lim, P.S., Lee, K.W., Felisha, C., Tay, S.C., Yow, I., Young, J.L., Wu, S.K., Low, B.C. (2025): Protocol for AI-assisted quantitative analysis and setup of tumor spheroid invasion into tissue. STAR Protocols, 6(4): 104140.
2. Tomida, K., Ong, H.T., Young, J.L., Chan, C.J. (2025): Capturing ovarian dynamics through spatial profiling of the mechano-microenvironment. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 175: 103642.
3. Gao, X., Li, Y., Lee, J.W.N., Zhou, J., Rangaraj, V., Sun, A.R., Young, J.L., Holle, A.W. (2025): Isolation, extraction, and analysis of cells after confined migration. Current Protocols, 5(9): e70204.
4. Joukhdar, H., Lee, S.S., Cox, T.R., Choi, Y.S., Wise, S.G., Young, J.L., Yeo, G.C., Lim, K.S. (2025): Engineering Aging: Approaches to Model and Deconstruct Biological Complexity. Advanced Materials, e12523.
5. Ong, H.T.*, M, S.*, Jiang, G., Young, J.L.†, Holle, A.W.†, Elnathan, R.† (2025): The Rise of Mechanobiology for Advanced Cell Engineering and Manufacturing. Advanced Materials, 2501640.
6. Sun, A.R., Ramli, M.F.H., Shen, X., Ramakanth, K.K., Chen, D., Hu, Y., Vidyasekar, P., Foo, R.S., Long, Y., Zhu, J., Ackers-Johnson, M., Young, J.L.† (2025): Hybrid hydrogel-extracellular matrix scaffolds identify biochemical and mechanical signatures of cardiac ageing. Nature Materials, 24: 1489-1501.
7. Ramli, M.F.H., Aguado, B.A., Young, J.L.† (2025): Signals from the extracellular matrix: Region- and sex-specificity in cardiac aging. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 95:102524.
8. Veena, M.S., Chen, D., Kumar, A., Pratap, R., Young, J.L., Tijore, A. (2025): Nanoscale ligand spacing regulates mechanical force-induced cancer cell killing. Nano Letters, 25(6).
9. Major, G.S., Joukhdar, H., Choi, Y.S., Rnjak-Kovacina, J., Wise, S.G., Ju, L.A., Cox, T.R., Xu, C., Yeo, G.C., Young, J.L., Lim, K.S. (2025): Photochemistry as a tool for dynamic modulation of hydrogel mechanics. Cell Reports Physical Science, 6(1).
10. Sun, A.R., Hengst, R., Young, J.L.† (2024): All the small things: Nanoscale matrix alterations in aging tissues. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 87:102322.
Full publication list available at Google Scholar