Vincent Gau M.S. ’98, Ph.D. ’01

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Jen-Jr (Vincent) Gau is something of an anomaly in his field – he is a scientist with a wide grasp of knowledge, from biochemistry to fluid dynamics, who aims to apply his scholarship far beyond the insular world of scientific research. As a Ph.D. candidate in the biomedical engineering program, Gau's projects have ranged from work on semiconductor process simulation and circuit design to DNA sensor development and biomedical diagnostics. It is in the latter field of study that Gau has produced his world-renowned invention – using MEMS-based silicon chip technology, he has developed new “chip-based DNA sensors” that will vastly improve treatment for victims of infectious diseases.

Based on this revolutionary dissertation research, Gau founded GeneFluidics, Inc., a multi-disciplinary and multi-million dollar bio-molecule analytical system development company. GeneFluidics works closely with the medical and engineering departments at UCLA, and is dedicated to the ultimate purpose of improving patients' quality of life by providing less costly, less time-consuming and more generally effective diagnostic and analytic tools.

On the strength of his extraordinary research and accomplishments, Gau – who will be the first student to receive a biomedical engineering Ph.D. from UCLA – has published several papers and presented his work, often on an invitational basis, at various international conferences.

In addition to his achievements in the field of science, Gau is driven by the desire to help others in “non-scientific” ways. He established the Bruin TC student organization, a campus chapter of the nonprofit Tzu-Ching humanitarian foundation. Gau is also dedicated to improving the lives of his fellow students – as president of the Chinese Graduate Student Association (CGSA), he regularly organized enriching field trips and activities, even setting up a choir to perform at official campus events. He is also credited with merging the two largest Chinese graduate student associations, CGSA and TSA, into one organization, in order to serve student members more efficiently and directly. In addition, Gau has been a volunteer instructor and participant in multiple outreach programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District.