Faculty Specialty Areas

Faculty Research Areas
First Name Last Name Program Area of Interest
Samira Azarin 4D Biomanufacturing
Chris  Bartel 4D Materials design
Frank  Bates MP Program addresses fundamental and technologically relevant topics dealing with the design and controlled synthesis, structure, rheological and mechanical properties of synthetic polymers, including block polymers and blends, in the melt and solutions states.
Turan Birol 4D Materials theory and design
David Blank OM Focused on understanding the principles that govern exciton relaxation, exciton transport (energy transfer), and charge transfer in model  organic systems in solution and in thin films. We employ time resolved non-linear spectroscopic techniques, and include two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy and ultrafast time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. 
Natalie Boehnke 4D Nanotechnology / drug  delivery
Michelle Calabrese MP Rheology and processing, in situ scattering, new techniques and analyses
Marcio Carvalho CPF Fluid mechanics, rheology, transport phenomena, drying.
Xiang Cheng CPF Colloids, Polymers, Rheology, Visualization
Prodromos Daoutidis 4D
Program Leader
Control and systems engineering
Paul Dauenhauer 4D Reaction engineering
Kevin Dorfman MP Focuses on topics in polymer physics, microfluidics and biotechnology, including modeling, confined polymers, DNA
Chris Douglas OM  
Cari Dutcher CPF Complex fluids and multiphase flows, including aerosols, emulsions, and foams. Interfacial rheology and surfactant transport phenomena. Two-phase microfluidics.
Chris Ellison MP
Program
Leader

Thin Film Block Copolymers for Lithography,  Graphene Elastomers, Foams and Aerogels, Nature Inspired Green Approach to Fiber Manufacturing using Thiol-ene Photopolymerization, Catechol Based Multifunctional Materials

Vivian Ferry OM4D Nanostructured materials
Lorraine Francis CPF
Program Leader
Materials processing; coating processing; microstructure and properties; ceramics; and printed electronics.
Dan Frisbie CPFNMP, OM The applied aspects of Frisbie's research program include novel solution-processable semiconductors and their applications in printed electronics. In collaboration with colleague Prof. Lorraine Francis his group is developing new roll-to-roll, high precision coating and printing processes to making large area flexible circuitry, i.e., "plastic electronics", with applications in distributed sensing, displays, and e-skins, for example. More fundamental work centers on understanding electrical transport mechanisms in novel semiconductors, particularly organic semiconductors.
Wayne Gladfelter NMP Atomic layer deposition provides a valuable approach for the preparation of conformal thin films of a wide range of inorganic and mixed organic/inorganic materials. Current focus is on developing ALD methods to deposit multimetallic films where chemical selectivity can be used to control the film stoichiometry. Specific applications are for thin film photovoltaics. We are also examining the deposition mechanisms of ALD processes that use ozone as the source of oxygen in metal oxide films. 
Ben  Hackel 4D Protein engineering
Greg  Haugstad NMP Develop multi-technique analytical approaches: (1) Correlative methods to probe nano- to micro-scale structures (e.g., phase segregation, crystallinity); (2) variable temperature, humidity or liquid immersion analysis of soft films (synthetic or biological); (3) mechanical and tribological response (friction/wear/lubrication) via scanning probe methods.
Christy Haynes NMP Porous and plasmonic nanomaterials, nanoparticle toxicity
Marc Hillmyer MP Focused on the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of advanced macromolecular materials. Spotlight areas of research include the development of sustainable polymers from renewable resources and hybrid macromolecular structures that combine disparate polymeric elements into a single compound. Ultimately, we aim to combine contemporary polymer synthesis with detailed molecular, morphological and property characterization to expand knowledge of fundamental polymer science and advance new technologies. 
Russell Holmes

OM
Program
Leader

Research is primarily focused on the study of thin films organic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials. We are specifically interested in how these materials behave from a growth standpoint, the characterization of their optical and electrical properties, and their performance in optoelectronic devices such as small molecule organic solar cells.
Wei-Shou Hu  4D Systems biotechnology, biochemical engineering, cell culture bioprocessing, stem
cell technology
Satish Kumar

CPF

Our research involves integration of transport phenomena, colloid and interface science, rheology, applied and computational mathematics, and experiments to address fundamental issues in materials processing . Areas of interest include coating and printing processes, polymer processing, nanofluidics/microfluidics, and energy.
Jessica Lamb MP Applying catalysis and physical organic techniques to the synthesis of new polymers and small molecules.
Sungyon Lee CPF Specializing in uncovering the fundamental physical mechanisms behind complex phenomena in fluid mechanics. Key research areas comprise the fundamental investigation of (1) interfacial dynamics of suspension flows, (2) inertia-driven droplets, (3) two-phase flows through porous media, and (4) dynamics of particle rafts. 
Tim Lodge MP Structure and dynamics of polymer liquids, including solutions, melts, blends, and block copolymers, with particular emphasis on self-assembling systems, using rheological, scattering, and microscopy thechniques.
Matt Neurock 4D Computational chemistry
Chris Macosko MP Our research focuses on using flow and chemical reactions to create new multiphase nano- and micro-structured polymeric materials.
Mahesh Mahanthappa MP Research focuses on the synthesis, microstructural characterization, physical properties, and applications of block copolymers and related surfactants derived from cheap and environmentally benign sources
Nathan Mara 4D Mechanical behavior of materials under extreme conditions
Alon McCormick

NMP
Program Leader

CPF

Research in nanostructure formation and self-assembly, curing in coating processes, and use of sorption in hybrid reactors.
David Morse MP Research in our group aims to improve fundamental theoretical understanding of the properties of polymer materials and other complex fluids. We use a combination of analytic statistical mechanics, numerical solution of approximate theories, and molecular simulation. Much of our recent work has focused on: (i) self-assembled equilibrium structures of systems that contain block copolymers, (ii) effects of composition fluctuations in polymer blends and block copolymer melts, and (iii) the dynamics and rheology of liquids containing polymers with stiff backbones.
R. Lee Penn NMP Elucidating fundamental aggregation and crystal growth mechanisms; Characterizing chemical reactivity and materials properties of natural and synthetic nanoparticles; and Designing and implementing effective curriculum to strengthen and improve middle school students’ understanding of nanotechnology and the atomic structure of solid materials.
David Poerschke 4D Design of materials for complex environments
Theresa Reineke MP4D Synthesis and characterization of functional polymeric materials focused in three main areas:  1) the development of polycations and characterization of their assembly with polyanions (i.e. materials for the delivery of nucleic acids); 2) the design and examination of new polymers that form higher ordered structures (i.e. excipients for small molecule drugs), and 3) the synthesis and property examination of sustainable polymers from natural product building blocks for a variety of applications.
Srinivas Rangarajan 4D Reaction modeling
Paul Ruden OM Research is directed towards the physics of novel semiconductor materials and devices. The work extends from the analysis of the properties of electronic materials and new device concepts to the development of analytical and numerical models.
Sapna Sarupria 4D

 Expertise in molecular modeling and simulation.

Wei

Shen

BPM Engineering of biomaterials and cellular microenvironments, cell-environment interactions and biomolecular engineering and developing a platform of engineered nanomaterials that undergo in situ assembly when interacting with their targets. One application of these materials is anti-viral therapy.
Ron Siegel
Program
Leader
BPM Drug delivery, biosensing, polymer science, hydrogels, micro- and nanofabrication, intranasal formulations, mathematical modeling.
J. Ilja Siepmann

NMP 
4D

We focus on understanding how molecular architecture and composition influence structure, phase behavior and function of the system of interest. The challenge of molecular simulation is the ability to make thermodynamic predictions that are both  accurate  and precise . 
Andreas Stein NMP Porous and nanostructure synthesis; polymer-clay and polymer-graphene nanocomposites; elcetrical energy storage materials; catalyst materials; and photonic crystals.
Calvin Sun BPM Our research focuses on manufacturing science of solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules. Formulation and process development is achieved by a clear scientific understanding of powders, including their flow and compaction properties.
Raj

Suryanarayanan

BPM Current research interests are in the following areas: (1) Monitor phase transitions during the entire freeze-drying cycle using specialinstrumentation built in-house. The ultimate goal is the optimization of the freeze-drying cycles of protein pharmaceuticals. (2) Simultaneous quantification of reactant, product, and intermediate phases of very rapid reactions (time resolution of 40 msec) using high intensity X-rays. (3) Use of a microdiffractometer to map tablet surfaces and also to characterize specific regions of a powder bed (or of a tablet). (4) Identify new excipients or modify the physical state of current excipients with the object of expanding their utility in freeze-dried formulations.
Ellad Tadmor 4D Molecular/multiscale modeling of nanomaterials and materials informatics
Robert Tranquillo BPM Fibrin-based cardiovascular tissue engineering--fabrication and functional characterization of small diameter vascular grafts, cardiovascular valves, and myocardium, including creation of a perfusable microvascular network--all from cell remodeling of fibrin. Cell-matrix mechanical interactions and associated contact guidance.
Chun Wang BPM We are interested in developing polymeric biomaterials for biomedical applications including gene and drug delivery, cancer immunotherapy and vaccines, and stem cell therapy.
Joseph

Zasadzinski

NMP Research deals primarily with experimental investigations of the relationships between structure, composition and function at the molecular scale in complex or self-assembling fluids using optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopies.
Qi Zhang 4D Optimization and systems engineering