New Faculty: Eric Dufresne

Eric Robert Dufresne

Professor, Physics and Materials Science and Engineering

Academic focus:

Materials biophysics, biologically-inspired materials

Current research project: 

We study biologically-inspired materials design and materials of life.  We aim to reveal novel physical principles that living organisms use to organize molecules into functional structures, and port those over to synthetic systems.  The underlying hypothesis is that biological organizational principles are different than the ones normally used by engineers and have evolved to be sustainable.

Previous positions:

  • Professor of Soft and Living Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 2016-2023
  • Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, 2010-2015
  • Director, Center for Engineering Innovation and Design, Yale University, 2012-2014
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, 2004-2010

Academic background:

  • Ph.D., Physics, University of Chicago, 2000
  • B.S., Physics, Yale University, 1996

Last book read:

“Whose Body” by Dorothy Sayers

In your own time/when not working:

Walking, swimming, biking. Just started birding since moving to Ithaca.

Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:

Materials biophysics

What most excites you about Cornell:

The collaborative atmosphere and the amazing infrastructure, particularly CHESS

Twitter handle:

@SoftLiv_Cornell

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