Jennifer Cochran

Jennifer Cochran is the Vice President for SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and for Strategic Initiatives, the Addie and Al Macovski Professor of Bioengineering, Professor of Bioengineering, and by courtesy, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University School of Engineering. She is a member of Bio-X, the Cardiovascular Institute, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford Cancer Institute, and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Delaware in 1995, Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Biological Engineering at MIT. Her career history at Stanford includes Chair of Bioengineering from 2017 to 2022, Director of Graduate Studies in Bioengineering from 2014 to 2018, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research since 2022, Faculty Director of the Innovative Medicines Accelerator Protein Therapeutics Initiative since 2021, Director of the Stanford-NIH Biotechnology Predoctoral Training Grant since 2014, and Chair/Principal Investigator of the Bioengineering Coulter Grant from 2017 to 2022.

The Cochran laboratory uses interdisciplinary approaches in chemistry, engineering, and biophysics to study complex biological systems and develop new tools for basic science and biomedical applications, with translational interests in protein-based drug discovery and development for oncology and regenerative medicine, including wound healing, cardiac tissue regeneration, and cancer imaging and therapy. Research focuses on elucidating molecular details of receptor-mediated cell signaling and engineering protein and peptide-based therapeutics and diagnostic agents. Major awards include election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2025, College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2018, Hellman Faculty Scholar Award in 2008, Martin D. Abeloff Scholar Award in 2008, Kimmel Scholars Award in 2007, Mallinckrodt Faculty Scholar Award in 2007, and Howard Temin Award in 2004. Key publications include "Engineered CD47 protects T cells for enhanced antitumour immunity" (Nature, 2024), "Structural insights reveal interplay between LAG-3 homodimerization, ligand binding, and function" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024), "An engineered NKp46 antibody for construction of multi-specific NK cell engagers" (Protein engineering, design & selection, 2024), "Enhanced safety and efficacy of protease-regulated CAR-T cell receptors" (Cell, 2022), and "An engineered ligand trap inhibits leukemia inhibitory factor as pancreatic cancer treatment strategy" (Communications biology, 2021).

Professional Email: Jennifer.Cochran@stanford.edu