Murugappan Muthukumar

Wilmer D. Barrett Professor

Faculty
Murugappan Muthukumar
Contact
Email
Email
Phone
Research Group Website
Location
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
Room: A212, Conte Research Center
University of Massachusetts Amherst
120 Governors Drive
Amherst, MA 01003

More Information

Current Research

macromolecular phenomena
  1. Structure, Dynamics, and Phase Behaviors of Polyzwitterions
  2. Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Physics of Membrane-less Organelles
  3. Single Molecule Transport of Heterogeneous Polymers: Synthetic and Biological
  4. Gels of Charged Macromolecules
  5. Physics of Human Vision
  6. Polymer Crystallization
  7. Energy Management in Polymeric Materials

Research Interests

My research group is engaged in understanding how macromolecules, both biological and synthetic, assume their sizes and shapes, organize into assemblies, and move around in crowded environments. We employ a combination of theoretical, computational, and experimental techniques to uncover the underlying mechanisms of macromolecular phenomena in Physical Biology and Polymer Physics. The major issues that are under active investigation are listed here.

Degree Information

M.Sc Chemistry, University of Madrea, India, 1972
PhD Chemical Physics, The University of Chicago, 1979

Honors and Distinctions

  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (1983-85)
  • Dillon Medal, American Physical Society (1986)
  • Fellow of American Physical Society (1987)
  • Maurice L. Huggins Memorial Award, Gordon Research Conferences (1988)
  • Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Chancellor's Medal, UMass (1997)
  • Ford High Polymer Physics Prize, American Physical Society (1998)
  • Miller Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley (1999)
  • Twenty times Best Teacher Award, Polymer Science and Engineering, UMass (1984-2009)
  • Humboldt Prize, Germany (2006)
  • Gutenberg Award, University of Mainz, Germany (2007)
  • Adjunct Associate Editor for Physical Review Letters (1999-2007)
  • Wilmer D. Barrett Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering, UMass (2000-present)
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Chemical Physics (2007-present)

Research Areas

Materials for Sustainable Resources and Energy,
Materials for Life and Lifelike Systems,
Polymer and Soft Matter Physics,
Muthukumar Research Group