Matthew B. Francis

Matthew B. Francis is the Aldo DeBenedictis Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is affiliated with the Department of Chemistry and leads the Francis Research Group, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of organic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, and materials science.

• B.S. in Chemistry from Miami University (1994)
• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University (1999), advised by Eric N. Jacobsen
• Postdoctoral Fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, UC Berkeley (1999–2001), advised by Jean M. J. Fréchet

His research emphasizes the development of synthetic methods for constructing nanoscale materials through:

• Self-assembling networks of inorganic nanocrystals using modified cytoskeletal proteins
• Functionalized viral capsids for drug delivery and 3D nanomaterials
• Site-specific protein modification techniques

Key achievements include the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award (2001) and pioneering work on nanocrystal organization via protein conjugation.