David Gracias

David Gracias is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, with secondary appointments in Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR). He also holds affiliations at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, including the Department of Oncology, the Center for Microphysiological Systems (MPS), and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC).

His research focuses on the intersection of engineered and living systems, leveraging micro/nanotechnology, self-folding materials, and physical intelligence to create bioinspired and bionic structures. Key projects include autonomous grippers for drug delivery, thermoresponsive soft robots, and organoid intelligence (OI) for advancing biocomputing.

Gracias’ recent publications highlight innovations in 3D spatiotemporal chemistry, neural organoid modeling, and DNA-programmable gels. His work spans biomedical engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology, with applications in diagnostics, drug delivery, and neural interface design.

Scientific accolades include being named a 2024 National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow, along with prestigious awards such as the NSF Career Award, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award. He is also an elected Fellow of APS, RSC, AAAS, AIMBE, and IEEE.

Gracias has co-founded a startup, holds 36 issued patents, and has translated his research into commercial practices. His lab collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and utilizes advanced fabrication and characterization techniques, including lithography, spectroscopy, and finite element modeling.