Nigel Slater

Professor Nigel Slater is a distinguished British chemical engineer and biopharmaceuticals expert who, after more than three decades shaping science at the University of Cambridge, joined Zhejiang University in Hangzhou as a full-time professor in late 2025. He previously served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Regional Affairs) and Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Cambridge, where he held the 1999 Chair of Chemical Engineering from 2000 to 2020.

Slater obtained his BA and PhD in Natural Sciences from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and went on to build a world-leading research group in the manufacture and formulation of biopharmaceuticals — including therapeutic proteins, DNA, viruses, and cell therapies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Chartered Engineer.

At Zhejiang University, Slater is focusing on developing next-generation cancer therapies that use vaccine technology for tumour immunotherapy. His primary motivation is both continuing his pioneering research and mentoring a new generation of Chinese biomedical scientists.