Project Description

Flexible and stretchable bioelectronic devices are altering the manner in which the medical community monitors patients, collects data, and responds to crucial clinical needs. To date, however, the design of these emerging electronic devices has relied on well-known semiconducting and conducting materials. In this effort, we will directly challenge this paradigm through the use of tailored organic electronic molecules because polymer-based electronic materials offer advantages in terms of molecular tunability, biocompatibility, biochemical response specificity, mechanical properties, and low-cost manufacturability relative to their inorganic counterparts. To accomplish this aim, we will combine the expertise of a polymer chemistry and polymer physics group with the world-class abilities of a soft bioelectronics group in order to design stretchable biomedical systems using a “molecules-to-module” approach. Moreover, these bioelectronic devices will be evaluated in practical scenarios (e.g., as ultrathin, stretchable skin-mountable monitors for electrophysiological signals) in order to provide feedback to the macromolecular design such that rapid iteration to optimized macromolecular and device structure occurs. In this way, we envision mentoring a postdoctoral researcher that will develop and synthesize next-generation polymer semiconductors and conductors and utilize these materials in never-before-seen, high-impact biomedical systems in order to lead the field of intrinsically-stretchable bioelectronic materials and devices. 

Start Date

08/01/2019

Postdoc Qualifications