Ann-Na Cho, Ph.D., is a biomedical engineer and pioneering researcher in stem cell engineering and organoid-based disease modeling. Her work bridges engineering and life sciences to develop innovative in vitro human brain models for understanding neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. With a Ph.D. from Yonsei University and fellowships at institutions such as Macquarie University and The University of Sydney, she has consistently contributed to cutting-edge research at the intersection of biomaterials, neural differentiation, and personalized medicine. She is currently a Lecturer and Sydney Horizon Fellow at The University of Sydney, where she leads multidisciplinary projects focused on developing human microphysiological systems. Dr. Cho has published extensively in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Advanced Functional Materials. With a growing citation record and h-index of 14, her contributions are shaping future directions in organoid science, brain-on-chip technology, and translational neuroengineering, positioning her as a global leader in biomedical innovation.
🎓 Education
Ann-Na Cho earned her Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Yonsei University in 2020, where she focused on creating in vitro models of human brain development. Her thesis, under the guidance of Prof. Seung-Woo Cho, laid the groundwork for her current organoid-based research. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the same institution (2013), with extensive early training through internships at top Korean research institutions including Seoul National University, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, and POSTECH. These foundational experiences exposed her to a breadth of biomedical techniques and inspired her to specialize in human stem cell systems and neuroengineering. Her educational journey reflects a multidisciplinary approach—blending biology, bioengineering, and translational neuroscience—which now underpins her research into human disease modeling and regenerative therapies. This strong academic grounding has enabled her to engage in innovative organoid system development and interdisciplinary collaborations across medicine and engineering domains.
💼 Experience
Dr. Ann-Na Cho brings a rich blend of academic and research experience across Asia and Australia. She is currently a Lecturer and Horizon Fellow at The University of Sydney’s School of Biomedical Engineering. Previously, she was a Macquarie Vice-Chancellor Research Fellow at Macquarie Medical School (2021–2023) and held a postdoctoral role at the Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney (2020–2021). Earlier in her career, she was a postdoctoral researcher and Ph.D. candidate at Yonsei University, with a visiting research stint at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. Her cross-disciplinary expertise includes biomaterials, stem cell biology, neural organoids, and microfluidic systems. She has co-authored over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, many as first author, and serves as an editorial board member and special issue guest editor for journals like Life and IJMS. She actively contributes to academic leadership and mentoring, and chairs several scientific committees within the biomedical and microfluidics research communities.
🏆 Awards and Honors
Ann-Na Cho has earned numerous national and international accolades for her research excellence. She received the 2025 University of Sydney Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research and the 2024 Vice-Chancellor Award for Early Career Researcher of the Year. Her innovative work was recognized by MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific” in 2024. She was a finalist for the Eureka Prizes, Women of Colour in STEM Innovator Award, and L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship. In 2022, she won 1st Prize in Light Microscopy Australia’s Live Cell Imaging Competition. She has chaired sessions at MicroTAS, ASBTE, and Nano Health Symposium and served as a speaker at numerous high-profile events including ICBME, NanoMed, and WBC. Dr. Cho’s work has also earned her multiple competitive research grants exceeding $6 million from prestigious funding agencies such as NHMRC, MRFF, and Dementia Australia, underscoring her leadership in the biomedical research community.
🔬 Research Focus
Dr. Cho’s research centers on engineering human brain organoids and microphysiological systems to study neurodevelopment, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral neuropathogenesis. Her work aims to mimic complex human brain environments in vitro using stem cells, decellularized matrices, and bioengineered platforms. She has developed advanced microfluidic and brain-on-chip systems that allow precise modeling of Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral venous thrombosis, and virus-induced neural damage, including COVID-19 impacts. She is pioneering efforts to integrate machine learning with 3D brain models for drug screening and precision medicine. Her team’s contributions span biomaterials, vascularized neural tissues, and soft bioelectronics, pushing the boundaries of personalized preclinical models. Notable achievements include patents on organoid culture systems and high-impact publications on neuron-glia interactions, brain fusion events, and cognitive decline mechanisms. Her interdisciplinary projects collaborate globally across academia, medicine, and biotech, placing her at the forefront of next-generation therapeutic development and translational neuroengineering.
🌟Conclusion
Dr. Ann-Na Cho is a dynamic and highly accomplished biomedical researcher whose contributions to organoid technology, neurodegeneration modeling, and translational bioengineering set her apart as a leader in the field. She has demonstrated excellence across research, innovation, funding acquisition, and community engagement. Her scientific work is not only innovative but also socially and clinically relevant, offering hope for new therapeutic strategies in neuroscience and regenerative medicine. With strategic enhancements in global research visibility, mentorship leadership, and commercialization pathways, she is poised to make even greater contributions in the coming years. Dr. Cho exemplifies the qualities of a modern scientist—visionary, collaborative, and impact-driven—and is exceptionally well-suited for the Best Researcher Award.