Edmund Palermo

Edmund Palermo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), joining in 2014. His career began with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University (2006) and a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science & Engineering from the University of Michigan (2011), followed by postdoctoral research with Dr. Anne McNeil. He holds affiliations with RPI's Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems (CMDIS) and the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.

His research focuses on polymer synthesis for biomedical applications, including antimicrobial materials, neuroprotective biomaterials, and drug delivery systems. Key innovations include polymerized curcumin coatings for neural devices, self-immolative antibacterial polymers, and surface-engineered N95 masks. His work bridges materials science and biology to address challenges in infection control, neuroprotection, and regenerative medicine.

Notable awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2017), ACS PMSE Young Investigator (2018), and 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2016-2018). His research has produced over 50 indexed publications, emphasizing structure-activity relationships in antimicrobial polymers and advanced materials fabrication techniques like super-resolution interference lithography.

Palermo's interdisciplinary collaborations span polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering, with applications in medical devices, drug delivery, and sustainable energy materials. He actively contributes to research centers advancing translational materials science and biotechnology.