Cole DeForest

Cole A. DeForest is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at the University of Washington, and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Chemistry. He holds leadership roles as Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor, Core Faculty Member of the Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, and Director of Education at the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute. His research focuses on developing user-programmable biomaterials to mimic biological complexity, with applications in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and stem cell biology.

Education:

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2011)
• Postdoctoral Research, California Institute of Technology (with David Tirrell)
• Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering, Princeton University (2006)

Research Interests: DeForest's lab engineers 4D biomaterials that dynamically control biochemical and biophysical properties using light-activated chemistry. Key areas include:

• Photodegradable hydrogels for vascularized tissue engineering
• Light-responsive drug delivery systems
• Protein-functionalized materials for cell fate control
• Bioluminescence-mediated material activation

Recent Trends in Publications: His work emphasizes light-driven material customization, with recent studies demonstrating tricolor wavelength-selective degradation, genetically encoded protein linkers, and enzymatic degradation control for single-cell analysis. Over 30 peer-reviewed publications showcase innovations in biomaterial design and biomedical applications.

Awards & Grants:

• NSF CAREER Award (2017)
• Allen Institute Collaborative Grant (2017)
• Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professorship (2020)
• Multiple industry and NIH grants totaling over $5M

Advising & Training: Mentor to over 50 trainees including PhD students (e.g., Irina Kopyeva, Nicole Gregorio), postdocs (e.g., Teresa Rapp, Ivan Batalov), and undergraduates. Notable advisees include HHMI Gilliam Fellow Eric Nealy and NIH T32 awardee Chris Arakawa.

Labs & Collaborations: Leads the DeForest Research Group at UW, collaborating with institutions like the Allen Institute for Brain Science and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Core facilities include advanced biofabrication labs and light-based material characterization suites.