David A. Putnam

David A. Putnam is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University's College of Engineering, where he has been a faculty member since 2002. His research focuses on designing functional biomaterials using organic polymer chemistry and molecular biology to address critical challenges in human health, including drug delivery systems, vaccine development, and synthetic lubricants for medical applications.

His educational background includes:

• B.S. in Pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy at Union University (1990)
• Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Utah (1996)
• NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Engineering at MIT under Professor Robert Langer (1996-1999)

Putnam's research spans drug delivery and nanomedicine, polymers and soft matter, mechanics of biological materials, and tissue engineering. His work integrates chemical synthesis with biological principles to develop innovative solutions such as vaccine adjuvants, surgical biomaterials, and arthritis treatments. He has pioneered approaches in polymeric vector design and biomaterial synthesis for medical applications.

His publication record from 2006-2010 reveals a strong emphasis on translational biomaterials research, with recurring themes in polymer chemistry for drug/gene delivery, surgical applications, and vaccine development. These works demonstrate his expertise in bridging fundamental polymer science with clinical needs through systematic material design.

His scientific accolades include:

• Fellow of AIMBE (top 2% of U.S. biomedical engineers) and Coulter Foundation
• Cornell's Fiona Ip Li '78 and Donald Li '75 Teaching Excellence Award (2010)
• Michaelson Grant from Found Animals Foundation (2014)
• Invited speaker at Keystone Symposium (2015)
• Editorial roles for seven journals including Pharmaceutical Research and Journal of Controlled Release

Putnam secures major research funding from NIH, NSF, Coulter Foundation, and Department of Defense. He co-founded TransForm Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2005) and served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at PureTech Ventures. He led an interdisciplinary NSF-funded $2M project developing biosynthetic lubricants for arthritis treatment and actively participates in Cornell's BioEntrepreneurship Initiative to commercialize life science innovations.

He directs the Putnam Research Group, which focuses on first-principles biomaterial design, and maintains strong industry partnerships while mentoring the next generation of biomedical engineers through Cornell's engineering programs.