Xuejun Wen

Xuejun Wen is a distinguished bioengineer whose academic journey began with an M.D. from Henan Medical University in 1994, followed by M.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University in 1997 and the University of Cincinnati in 2000. He earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Utah in 2003, focusing on neuronal tissue engineering. After completing his doctorate, Wen joined the faculty in the Department of Bioengineering at Clemson University, where he co-founded and directed the joint Bioengineering Program with the Medical University of South Carolina. In 2010, he was promoted to full professor and appointed the Hansjörg Wyss Endowed Chair Professor in Regenerative Medicine at Clemson University. Since 2012, he has served as Professor in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at the Institute for Engineering and Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Wen’s research specializations encompass biomaterials, cell and tissue engineering, with a primary focus on central nervous system nerve tract repair and stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. He has developed neuronal bridging devices that combine cells with biomaterial scaffolds to promote axonal regeneration and introduced the concept of space creation to establish scar-free environments for cell transplantation. His innovations include cell-encapsulating devices, drug delivery vehicles, nano- and micron-scale carriers, and specialized devices for intraocular, inner ear, and middle ear applications. Key publications include “Effect of electrospinning parameters on the nanofiber diameter and length” (2009), “Periostin regulates collagen fibrillogenesis and the biomechanical properties of connective tissues” (2007), “Polymer nanofibrous structures: Fabrication, biofunctionalization, and cell interactions” (2010), “Generation of multicellular tumor spheroids with microwell-based agarose scaffolds for drug testing” (2015), and “Intervertebral disc (IVD): Structure, degeneration, repair and regeneration” (2012). Wen was elected a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2012 and has secured grants from the Michael J. Fox Foundation. His body of work has accumulated nearly 10,000 citations, reflecting profound impact in the Engineering discipline.