Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds affiliations with the Polymer Science and Engineering program and the Sylvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research. Her research focuses on biomimetic materials, leveraging self-assembly, molecular design, and microfluidics to create microenvironments for studying biomolecules and addressing biomedical challenges. Perry’s work bridges chemistry, biology, and engineering, emphasizing applications in bioenergetics, biocatalysis, and biomedicine.

Education:

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona, 2005
• B.S., Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona, 2003/2002

Research Interests: Biomimetic materials, protein dynamics, drug delivery, bionanoreactors, and microfluidics. Her lab develops complex coacervates and microfluidic platforms for applications like enzyme dynamics analysis and mRNA manufacturing.

Recent Articles: Perry’s 2025 publications highlight advancements in excipient effects on coacervation, polyelectrolyte complex mechanics, and automated X-ray crystallography devices. These contributions underscore her lab’s interdisciplinary approach to biomaterials and structural biology.

Advising & Grants: Perry has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, including alumni now in academia and industry. Her group actively collaborates with institutions like MIT, Berkeley, and Harvard, supported by grants focused on polymer physics and biomedical applications.

Labs & Teams: The Perry Research Group is part of a vibrant network at UMass Amherst, engaging in collaborative projects with the Schiffman Lab and the Crosby Group. Current initiatives include developing X-ray compatible microfluidics and scalable biologics formulations.