Jennifer Cochran

Prof. Jennifer Cochran is the Addie and Al Macovski Professor of Bioengineering and the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research at Stanford University. She is a Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering and a member of the Cancer Biology, Biophysics, and Immunology graduate programs. Prof. Cochran is the former Chair of the Department of Bioengineering, a position she held from 2017-2022, and has served as Co-Director of the Stanford/NIH Biotechnology pre-doctoral training program since 2014. At the Stanford Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA), she supports the development of antibody and other protein-based therapies.

Prof. Cochran obtained her PhD in Biological Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Biological Engineering. Her research group at Stanford uses interdisciplinary approaches in chemistry, engineering, and biophysics to study complex biological systems and to develop new tools for basic science and biomedical applications. Prof. Cochran and her colleagues have invented numerous technologies, including instrumentation for high throughput antibody drug discovery, and therapeutics under development for eye disease, tissue regeneration, and cancer. A named inventor on over 50 issued and filed/pending patents, her depth of experience and talent—as a leading protein engineer and an entrepreneur with a track record of successful drug discovery and development efforts—epitomizes the IMA’s aspiration to forge partnerships between industry and academia. In addition to biomedical research, she enjoys applying protein engineering to problems related to climate and sustainability, applying her former lab skills to master culinary dishes from across the world, and mentoring students, postdocs, and faculty on technology transfer and life science company formation.