Padma Gopalan

Padma Gopalan is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research focuses on functional polymeric materials and self-assembly strategies for applications in photonics, electronics, and biology.

Education:

• Ph.D., Cornell University (2001)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Bell Laboratories (2001–03)

Her research spans five key areas: block copolymer thin-film assembly, polymer brush synthesis, chemically defined coatings for stem cell biology, carbon nanotube electronics, and benign monomers for functional polymers. Recent work includes quantum dot assembly, polymer brush grafting, and plant-derived biomaterials.

Notable scientific awards include the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship, Kellett Mid-Career Award, and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (Stephanie Santos). Her publications (15 most recent) highlight advances in nanolithography, graphene plasmonics, and biofunctional polymer coatings.

Advising: She has mentored numerous students, including Yongho Joo, Jonathan Choi, Wei Wei, Samantha Schmitt, and Stephanie Santos. Her lab collaborates with the Arnold group on carbon nanotube electronics and with Murphy's team on stem cell biomaterials.