Jennifer Wanyi Jia is currently completing a PhD in Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar. She is conducting research to understand the role of neuronal activity on white matter brain plasticity. Her thesis, which challenges the widely held belief that myelin is static and remains unchanged through life, has significant implications for our current understanding of the brain, learning, and memory.
Prior to starting her doctorate, Jennifer earned an MPhil in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University, a BA in Neuroscience from Pomona College in California, and participated in research internships at world-leading laboratories at Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford. Over the past few years, she has been an active contributor to university life as a glider pilot, rower, and graduate student body president and trustee at Girton College, Cambridge. Throughout her doctoral studies, Jennifer has been exploring her interest in entrepreneurship, specifically in healthcare and social ventures.
She has received formal recognition for her efforts in this field from institutions such as McKinsey, The House of Commons, and Flagship Pioneering.
Originally from China, Jennifer grew up in Montréal and credits her career in science to days spent at the Montréal Science Centre as a child. Now fluent in four languages (Mandarin, French, English and Neural-Glial Communication) she hopes to dedicate her efforts to healthcare and biotech innovation.
