Steven Nielsen

Steven Nielsen is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He has been at UTD since 2005 and leads the Nielsen Group. His research focuses on computational modeling of nanoparticle interactions, surfactant adsorption at interfaces, and peptide-functionalized nanomaterials. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto (1998), an M.S. from the same institution (1996), and a B.S. from Queen's University (1992).

Research Interests: Design of peptides for dispersing carbon nanotubes, surface tension at nano-interfaces, nanoparticle-biological membrane interactions, and molecular dynamics simulations of surfactant systems. His work bridges theoretical chemistry and nanotechnology, with applications in drug delivery, biomaterials, and energy storage.

Key Awards: Sloan Research Fellowship (2006), American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Grant (2007–2009), Texas Advanced Computing Center Grant (2007–2008). He has authored/co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work emphasizing biophysical characterization and computational modeling.

Advising and Grants: Supervised nine students (graduate, undergraduate, and high school), including Welch Summer Scholars. Active in grant-seeking, with current projects funded by NSF, ACS, and TACC. Collaborates internationally with institutions like the Tyndall Institute (Ireland) and CIMAT (Mexico).

Service: Faculty Senate member, Chemistry Seminar Coordinator, and referee for journals including Biophysical Journal and Journal of Chemical Physics. Leads outreach efforts, including student exchange programs and international partnerships.