Charles M Schroeder

Charles M. Schroeder is a James Economy Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds the Ray and Beverly Mentzer Faculty Scholar title and is affiliated with Materials Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, and the Beckman Institute. His research focuses on molecular engineering, soft materials, and single-molecule biophysics, with over 150 peer-reviewed articles and patents in DNA data storage, polymer dynamics, and biophysical systems.

Education: B.S. (Carnegie Mellon, 1999), Ph.D. (Stanford, 2004). Postdoctorates at Harvard (2004-2007) and UC Berkeley (2007-2008).

Research: Develops microfluidic tools for high-throughput biomolecular analysis, studies non-equilibrium polymer dynamics, and designs bio-inspired materials. Key areas include DNA-based data storage, single-molecule charge transport in peptides, and rheology of ring polymers. Techniques span fluorescence microscopy, microfluidics, and AI-driven discovery.

Publications: Recent work emphasizes DNA storage systems, photostable light-harvesting molecules, and vitrimer electrolytes. His articles bridge biophysics and engineering, with applications in energy, healthcare, and nanotechnology.

Awards: Packard Fellowship, NSF CAREER Award, APS Fellow, and multiple UIUC excellence recognitions. Leads interdisciplinary groups at the Beckman Institute and collaborates across materials science, bioengineering, and chemistry.