RG x RACI_EmpoweringtheFutureofSTEM_singlepages300dpi - Book - Page 18
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J i AO J i AO L i ●
Bi OMEDi CAL ENGi NEER
J
iao Jiao didn’t really know what engineering was when she entered
university. But she quickly knew she’d made the right choice. She
absolutely loved uncovering the secrets of how things work!
Once, during her second year at university, she found out that her family
planned to put up a satellite dish. Immediately, she drew up a diagram and
began to calculate the forces that would act on the dish. She wanted to make
sure the dish would be safe in any kind of weather – even gale-force winds.
Her engineering training was already paying off!
Jiao Jiao graduated with degrees in biomedical engineering and medical
science. Soon, she was focusing on regenerative medicine. She combines
cutting-edge nanotechnology with cell biology, materials science, computer
science, and medicine to create options for treating disease. She and her
colleagues are growing new organs and body parts to replace damaged ones.
As they age, many people develop bone and joint diseases. It makes it hard for
them to get around, and it can be very painful. Seeing members of her own family
grapple with these conditions has inspired Jiao Jiao to do everything she can to
help people age better, so they can live their lives to the fullest.
Jiao Jiao knows about living with pain. She suffers from a medical condition
called endometriosis. She often adjusts her lifestyle and work arrangements to
manage her symptoms. She wishes more people understood that many
disabilities are invisible, and that there are some simple things we can do to
make life and work more comfortable for a lot of people.
Looking ahead, Jiao Jiao is full of hope. She says, “We are at the brink of
building whole organs, robotic devices to replace body parts, and cures for
previously intractable diseases.” The future is bright!
BORN 1987
CHi NA AND AUSTRALi A
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