Sarah L. Swisher

Sarah L. Swisher is the Russell J. Penrose Professor in Nanotechnology and Associate Director for Research Advancement at the Minnesota Nano Center. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota, leading the Swisher Research Group.

• B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• M.S. and Ph.D., Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Her research spans semiconductor device physics, materials science, and bioengineering, focusing on nanomaterial synthesis, flexible electronics, and biomedical sensors. Key applications include wearable medical devices, graphene-based neural interfaces, and photonic curing processes for high-performance thin-film transistors (TFTs) on plastic substrates.

The 15 most recent publications highlight trends in flexible electronics (e.g., graphene arrays, polymer skulls with transparent electrodes), biomedical sensors (e.g., microneedle ion-selective sensors, impedance monitoring), and advanced fabrication methods (e.g., photonic curing, inkjet printing). Subfields include device layout optimization, thermal management, and high-κ dielectrics.

Swisher's lab actively recruits graduate students for PhD research in semiconductor materials, flexible sensors, and smart biomedical devices. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at the Minnesota Nano Center and has received funding from undisclosed sources.