Alfredo Alexander-Katz

Alfredo Alexander-Katz is the Michael (1949) and Sonja Koerner Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, leading the Alexander-Katz Research Group. His work focuses on self-assembly processes in biological and bio-inspired soft materials, combining analytical theory, simulations, and experiments. Key research areas include designer 3D self-assembly of copolymers, bio-inspired random heteropolymers, and active soft matter dynamics.

Education: B.S. in Physics (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 1998), Ph.D. in Physics (University of California, Santa Barbara, 2004). Postdoctoral training at Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich) and École Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielle (Paris). Over 100 publications, including seminal works on blood clotting mechanisms and polymer electrolyte membranes. Awards include the 2013 Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Defense and MIT's 2021 Committed to Caring honor.

Research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches spanning materials science, biophysics, and nanotechnology. Current projects include developing shear-responsive materials, computational tools for polymer design (e.g., PolyPal), and bio-inspired nanomaterials for biomedical applications.