Materials and nanotechnology
Our research in the field of materials and nanotechnology is highly collaborative & interdisciplinary, with expertise in design, synthesis, characterization, and modeling & integration of materials and systems.
Areas of focus include: advanced manufacturing; AI and machine learning for materials design; colloids & biomaterials; design & characterization of new catalytic materials; energy conversion & storage; nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and photovoltaics; multiscale modeling & simulation; nanotechnology; graphene & carbon nanomaterials; quantum computing; biopolymers & polymeric materials processing; and soft matter.
We offer an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering.
Examples of research in faculty-led labs are highlighted below. Also, view faculty associated with this cross-cutting research area.
- Nanodevices and Integrated Systems Laboratory
- Yao Research Group
- Multiscale Materials and Manufacturing Laboratory
- Nano-Engineering Lab
- Nanoscale Interfaces, Transport, and Energy (NITE)
- Laboratory for Multiscale Bioengineering and Mechanobiology
- Ping Lab | Nano/Bio Interfaces & Applications
- Bai Research Group
- Wu Research Group
- Perry Research Group
- Schiffman Research Group
- Kireev Lab Group
Featured Organizations
MassNanoTech Institute
A campus-wide initiative for nanoscale science and engineering
Center for Bioactive Delivery
Creates novel delivery platforms for small and large molecules. The right drug to the right place.
Quantum Information Systems
Bolstering creative and collaborative partnerships to solidify UMass Amherst’s position in the cutting-edge field of quantum information systems
Related Faculty
Ashwin Ramasubramaniam
Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Adjunct, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Director, Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Program
Adjunct, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Director, Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Program
Email:
ashwin [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-4866
Uses computational modeling to study and engineer materials for optoelectronics and energy applications.
Qiangfei Xia
Dev and Linda Gupta Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Email:
qxia [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-4571
Emerging devices and integrated systems for in-memory computing, neuromorphic computing, machine intelligence, smart sensing, etc.
Chase Cornelison
Email:
rcornelison [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-0202
Neural engineering, inspired by cancer
Stephen S. Nonnenmann
Email:
ssn [at] engin [dot] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-4051
Materials science and engineering, scanning probe microscopy, nanomaterials, surfaces/interfaces, energy.
Sarah Perry
Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Gary R. Lapidus Faculty Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Adjunct, Polymer Science and Engineering
Undergraduate Program Director, Chemical Engineering
Gary R. Lapidus Faculty Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Adjunct, Polymer Science and Engineering
Undergraduate Program Director, Chemical Engineering
Email:
perrys [at] engin [dot] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-6252
Using biomimetic self-assembly, molecular design, and microfluidics to address real-world challenges in materials, medicine, and the environment.
Dmitry Kireev
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Email:
dkireev [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-8894
Wearable and implantable bioelectronics; Graphene and 2D materials; Biosensors; Bioelectronics; Neuroelectronics, Biomedical devices; 2D Biohybrids
Peng Bai
Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Email:
pengbai [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-6189
Studies catalysis and separation in complex materials systems using molecular simulation, quantum chemical, and machine learning methods.
Jessica Schiffman
Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
Email:
schiffman [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-6143
Engineered-materials that improve human health; Materials science and engineering; Green chemistry and renewable polymers; Microbiology
S. Thai Thayumanavan
Distinguished Professor, Chemistry
Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Director, Center for Bioactive Delivery
Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Director, Center for Bioactive Delivery
Email:
bmehead [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-1313
Polymer self-assembly, responsive materials and their use in diverse applications including therapeutic delivery, sensing, and diagnostics
Eric Polizzi
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Adjunct, Mathematics and Statistics
Adjunct, Mathematics and Statistics
Email:
epolizzi [at] engin [dot] umass [dot] edu
Conduct computational activities at the intersection of various disciplines: from applied mathematics to first-principle physics applied to nanoengineering.
Nianqiang Wu
Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Emeritus Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professorship, Materials Science & Engineering
Emeritus Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professorship, Materials Science & Engineering
Email:
nianqiangwu [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-6175
Research aims to gain fundamental understanding of charge transfer and energy transfer in electrochemical and optoelectronic materials and devices.
Prabhani Atukorale
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Email:
patukorale [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 577-5613
Immunoengineering; Immunotherapeutics; Novel nanomaterials; Tumor immunology; Tumor microenvironment; Synthetic tumor niches
Jinglei Ping
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Adjunct, Biomedical Engineering
Adjunct, Biomedical Engineering
Email:
ping [at] engin [dot] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-3395
Biosensing devices and systems based on two-dimensional (2D) materials and translation of 2D materials into applications in point-of-care diagnostics.
Wen Chen
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Email:
wenchen [at] umass [dot] edu
Additive manufacturing; mechanical behavior of materials; materials design.
Gina Olson
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Email:
ginaolson [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 545-2424
Soft robots; soft and compliant structures; mechanics of soft structures.
X. Frank Zhang
Department Head, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Adjunct, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Adjunct, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Email:
frank [dot] zhang [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone:
(413) 577-0876
Focuses on using single-molecule detection techniques to study the mechanosensing and activation mechanisms in blood clotting, viral infection, tissue…
