Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina is an academic and Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow at the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney. Her research interests are at the interface of biology and engineering, focusing on the development of biomaterials for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. She completed her Ph.D. in Anthony Weiss' lab at the University of Sydney and postdoctoral training in David Kaplan’s group at Tufts University.

Jelena's work has been recognized through multiple awards, including most recently being named the Early Career Researcher of the Year in the 2020 NSW Premier's Prizes for Science & Engineering. She has developed biomaterials for vascular grafts, cardiac patches and pro-angiogenic strategies.