Jens-Christian Meiners

Jens-Christian Meiners is a Professor of Physics and Biophysics at the University of Michigan, where he also previously served as department chair. His research focuses on the mechanics of biological systems, particularly the dynamics of single DNA molecules using advanced optical techniques. He earned his Ph. D. from Universität Konstanz, Germany.

Originally from Hanover, Germany, Jens-Christian is an avid scuba and cave diver. This passion directly informs some of his professional work, as he researches the physical mechanisms behind decompression sickness (“the bends”) in divers to better understand how tissue damage occurs on a mechanical level.

As part of his early research manipulating single DNA molecules, he became skilled enough to physically tie them into knots using focused laser beams.