Catherine J. Murphy

Catherine J. Murphy is the Larry R. Faulkner Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois. She holds professorships in Bioengineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Lab, Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Her research focuses on colloidal inorganic nanomaterials, exploring their synthesis, biological applications, and environmental impacts. Key projects include gold/silver nanorods for sensing, imaging, and therapy, and understanding nanoparticle interactions with biological systems.

Dr. Murphy has a PhD from the University of Wisconsin (1990) and postdoctoral training at Caltech. She leads a multidisciplinary lab with over 150+ peer-reviewed publications. Awards include the 2020 ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry, 2019 Remsen Award, and election to the National Academy of Sciences (2015). She advises numerous graduate students and postdocs, with notable alumni in academia and industry.

Her lab’s recent work spans nanoparticle surface chemistry, plasmonic applications, protein-nanoparticle interactions, and sustainable nanotechnology. Collaborations span engineering, biology, and medicine. Publications highlight innovations in nanorod fabrication, photothermal therapy, and environmental toxicity studies.