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About

Dr. Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of biomaterials, soft robotics, and advanced surgical technologies. Her work centers on developing intelligent, bio-inspired systems for tissue engineering and minimally invasive medicine. She is best known for her groundbreaking contributions to *in situ* 3D bioprinting, where her team created an advanced soft robotic system capable of printing living constructs directly inside the body during endoscopic surgery—a paradigm-shifting approach published in 2023 and cited 82 times. Dr. Rnjak-Kovacina also probes the fundamental behavior of silk fibroin hydrogels, unraveling how protein self-assembly and covalent bonding interact to create stable, high-performance materials for biomedical and soft robotics applications. Her recent work on motor-free soft robots for cancer detection and surgery (2025, 13 citations) further underscores her drive to replace rigid tools with compliant, safer alternatives. With a growing citation impact and a portfolio that bridges materials science, robotics, and clinical translation, Dr. Rnjak-Kovacina is shaping the future of intelligent, body-integrated medical devices.