Pupa Gilbert

Pupa Gilbert is the John D. Wiley Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with courtesy appointments in Chemistry, Materials Science, and Geoscience. She is also a Visiting Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. A globally recognized leader in biomineralization research, Gilbert employs cutting-edge synchrotron-based X-ray spectromicroscopy to elucidate how living organisms build extraordinary mineralized structures such as coral skeletons, sea urchin teeth, and mollusk nacre.

Education:

• Ph.D. 1987, First University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy

Research Focus:
Gilbert’s group deciphers the fundamental mechanisms that govern the formation, structure, and mechanical properties of biominerals. By integrating high-resolution imaging with materials theory, her work informs evolutionary biology, climate science, and the design of next-generation bio-inspired materials.

• Coral reef resilience to ocean acidification
• Self-sharpening mechanisms in sea urchin teeth
• Nacre toughening via controlled misorientation
• Amorphous calcium carbonate as a universal precursor
• Development of Polarization-dependent Imaging Contrast (PIC) mapping

Publication Trends:
Over the past five years Gilbert’s laboratory has produced a steady stream of high-impact papers in journals such as Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Science Advances, and Acta Biomaterialia. Themes include deciphering nanoscale crystal orientations in biominerals, exploiting machine learning for mechanical mapping, and tracing climate-sensitive proxies encoded in coral skeletons.

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• WARF Named Professorship
• Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor (2018–present)
• David A. Shirley Award, Advanced Light Source (2018)
• Radcliffe Fellowship, Harvard University (2014–2015)
• Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, UW–Madison (2011)
• Fellow of the American Physical Society (2010)
• Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana (2000)
• TOYP – The Outstanding Young Persons of the World (1997)

Mentoring & Outreach:
Gilbert has mentored dozens of graduate and undergraduate researchers, including the celebrated “Cnidarians” undergraduate team whose crowd-sourced data processing led to 2024 Nature Communications and 2022 JACS co-authorships. She received the 2024 UW-Madison Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research and delivers popular TED talks on coral reef conservation.

Laboratories & Collaborations:
She directs the Gilbert Research Group at UW–Madison and conducts experiments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Light Source. Funding sources include the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.