Gregory Doerk

Gregory Doerk is a Materials Scientist specializing in AI Accelerated Nanoscience at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN). As a key member of the Electronic Nanomaterials Group, he conducts cutting-edge research on self-assembly processes for nanofabrication applications. His work bridges fundamental polymer science with practical applications in energy, optics, and electronics manufacturing.

Doerk earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University (2005) and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2010). His academic journey was complemented by philosophical studies that shaped his approach to scientific inquiry, recognizing both the power and limitations of scientific knowledge.

Dr. Doerk's research focuses on directing the self-assembly of polymers to create tailored nano-architectures for optical, chemical, and energy applications. He specializes in block copolymer systems, developing combinatorial, high-throughput, and adaptive experimental methods to integrate self-assembly into scalable manufacturing processes. His work addresses the challenge of scaling block copolymer assembly to larger feature sizes (approaching 200nm) that can influence light for structural color applications, overcoming the natural limitations of traditional block copolymer systems.

His 15 most recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward AI-accelerated materials discovery, with increasing focus on autonomous experimentation, combinatorial approaches, and hierarchical structures. The research spans fundamental polymer science to applied nanotechnology, with applications in photonic materials, energy conversion, and advanced manufacturing. His work demonstrates a progression from basic self-assembly mechanisms to increasingly sophisticated systems incorporating machine learning and high-throughput methodologies.

• 2021 DOE Early Career Research Program award recipient

As a senior scientist at CFN, Doerk mentors numerous users from academic and industrial institutions worldwide, helping them develop self-assembly processes for diverse applications ranging from microfluidics to biosensing. He has secured significant research funding, including the prestigious DOE Early Career award, and actively contributes to the scientific community through organizing workshops at major conferences including the American Physical Society March Meeting and the NSLS-II & CFN User Meetings. His collaborative approach has resulted in numerous interdisciplinary projects spanning multiple DOE facilities.

Dr. Doerk leads research in the Electronic Nanomaterials group at CFN, where he operates specialized equipment for block copolymer self-assembly, solvent vapor annealing, and pattern transfer. His lab focuses on developing adaptive experimental methods that combine self-assembly with AI-driven discovery, creating a unique environment where traditional materials science intersects with cutting-edge computational approaches. The team regularly collaborates with researchers using Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source II for in-situ characterization of self-assembly processes.