Nicole Xu

Dr. Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Program, Biomedical Engineering Program, and BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her lab focuses on bioinspired designs for underwater vehicles, such as biohybrid methods that use live jellyfish integrated with microelectronic systems. She was awarded the 2025 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering. Previously, she was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Laboratories for Computational Physics & Fluid Dynamics at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. She received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Stanford University, M.S. in Bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology, and B.S.E. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been featured in national and international media outlets, including print media and various TV, radio, and podcast appearances. She is part of th