Faculty Advisor

Matthew Becker, Ph.D. | matthew.l.becker@duke.edu

Matthew L. Becker is the Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Duke University, where he also holds appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering. He leads the Becker Laboratory for Functional Biomaterials, a multidisciplinary research group at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, and medicine. His research focuses on the design and synthesis of functional and degradable polymers for applications in flexible electronics, soft tissue repair, neural, orthopedic, and vascular tissue engineering, as well as drug and protein delivery and additive manufacturing.

Dr. Becker has received numerous honors recognizing his contributions to polymer and biomaterials research, including being elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2022), American Chemical Society (2020), American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (2018), and Royal Society of Chemistry (2017). He is also the recipient of the Carl S. Marvel Award in Creative Polymer Chemistry (2019) and the Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules Young Investigator Award (2015).

Dr. Becker earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Northwest Missouri State University in 1998, and his M.A. (2000) and Ph.D. (2003) in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis. Before joining Duke University, he established himself as a leading figure in polymer chemistry and biomaterials through extensive interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative advances in materials design and synthesis.