Tal Cohen

Tal Cohen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), School of Engineering. He joined MIT as an assistant professor in November 2016 after working at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and was granted tenure in May 2023. He leads the Cohen's Mechanics Group, which focuses on understanding material behavior under extreme conditions including large deformations, dynamic loading, and growth.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. (2014), M.Sc. (2011), and B.Sc. (2007) from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion, Israel.

Professor Cohen's research centers on nonlinear solid mechanics, material growth, and material instabilities. His work combines theoretical modeling with experimental approaches to explore how materials behave at their extremes. Key research areas include understanding material instabilities (what triggers them, how they can be harnessed or avoided), extreme dynamic loading (shock wave propagation, energy dissipation), and material growth with chemical coupling (how growth leads to residual stresses and morphological changes). His research has significant implications for protective structures, understanding planetary impacts, and biological systems.

Analysis of his recent publications (2015-2025) reveals a consistent focus on nonlinear mechanics of soft materials, with increasing emphasis on biological applications in recent years. His work spans theoretical frameworks for material growth, experimental characterization of soft material properties, and computational modeling of complex material behaviors. Key themes include cavitation phenomena, fracture mechanics in soft materials, and the mechanics of biological growth processes.

• MIT Arthur C. Smith Award, 2024
• Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty, 2023
• NSF CAREER Award, 2020
• ONR Young Investigator Award, 2020
• ARO Young Investigator Award, 2019
• MIT-Technion Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2013-2014
• Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship, 2011-2012

Professor Cohen has advised numerous students through their PhD, Master's, and undergraduate research projects. His group includes current PhD candidates working on topics related to material growth, biological mechanics, and extreme loading conditions. He has successfully placed former postdocs in faculty positions at institutions including Harvard, UNH, and Central South University in China. His research has been supported by significant grants including the NSF CAREER Award and Young Investigator Awards from ONR and ARO. The Cohen Mechanics Group maintains an active research program with connections to multiple disciplines including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, and biomechanics.