Yining Zhu joins Forbes Science class of 2026

Yining Zhu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and a 2025 graduate from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, has been named to the 2026 Forbes ’30 Under 30′ list in the Science category. He was selected from more than 10,000 nominations and joins an elite group of young innovators recognized for advancing transformative scientific and technological breakthroughs.

Zhu is engineering next-generation lipid nanoparticles to create new therapies. Lipid nanoparticles act like microscopic packages that protect and deliver life-saving drugs to the correct cells in the body. Zhu is learning how these nanoparticles behave inside the body—tracking their movement, destination, cellular absorption, and how they trigger immune responses—to improve the delivery of genetic therapeutics, like mRNA and plasmid DNA. He does this by integrating high-throughput screening with materials design and immune engineering, which has helped him pioneer approaches that enhance the stability, potency, and translational impact of nucleic acid vaccines and immunotherapies.

“It’s an incredible honor to receive this recognition, and it motivates me to keep pursuing ambitious, curiosity-driven science,” said Zhu. “I’m deeply grateful to my PhD mentor, Dr. Hai-Quan Mao. His guidance, support, and inspiration throughout my training have been instrumental in shaping my scientific perspective and career path. Looking ahead, I hope to continue developing innovative technologies to better understand and treat human diseases, while contributing to the scientific community through collaboration and mentorship.”

Zhu earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins in 2025 and conducts research under the mentorship of Mao, director of the INBT and professor of materials science and engineering. Zhu’s work has been recognized with awards including the Johns Hopkins Medicine Hans J. Prochaska Research Award (2024) and the 2026 Siebel Scholarship. He has filed 10 patents, published over 30 papers, and his research has been cited over 1,200 times.