Mimi Yen. Academic Liaison.

Dr. Minmin Yen is the Founding CEO of the early-stage biotech start-up PhagePro, a discovery-driven venture focused on developing bacteriophage-based products to help the world’s most vulnerable communities. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria. Dr. Yen researched the use of phages as an intervention for cholera during her thesis work in the Camilli Lab at Tufts University, resulting in publications in Nature Communications and eLife. As a biological engineering undergraduate at MIT, she trained with Professors David Schauer and Darrell Irvine and researched oral vaccine delivery. Passionate about developing innovative solutions for infectious diseases, Dr. Yen was awarded the Howard Hughes Medical Institute MERGE-ID fellowship, which focused on translating bench science to clinical applications, for her graduate education.

During her thesis research, Dr. Yen has traveled to Haiti to study the cholera epidemic, where she witnessed the need for innovative healthcare solutions. She also served as the U.S. representative in the Young Leaders Circle for three years as a part of American Society of Microbiology’s initiative to address the needs of international early-stage scientists. Dr. Yen is currently a Master’s in Public Health candidate at Boston University, with a focus in global health and program management. 

Mimi has been involved since the beginning of the establishment of The Exploratory in Ghana. As Academic Liaison, she develops materials for outreach to universities and high schools and is laying the groundwork for chapters around the US and overseas to support our clubs in Ghana.