Overview
The Becker Laboratory for Functional Biomaterials is a multidisciplinary organic materials group working at the interface of chemistry, engineering and medicine. We are developing families of degradable polymers with highly tunable physical and biological properties that are being applied to unmet needs in flexible electronics, soft tissue repair, neural, orthopedic and vascular tissue engineering. We are also actively engaged in additive manufacturing and the development of custom inks that are enabling unique solutions to challenging design paradigms in biomaterials and drug delivery.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
·
2020 - Present
Chemistry,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Chemistry
·
2019 - Present
Chemistry,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science
·
2019 - Present
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science,
Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
·
2019 - Present
Biomedical Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
In the News
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Recent Publications
Resorbable 3D-Printed Osteosynthetic Plates for Rib Fracture Repair.
Journal Article Adv Healthc Mater · June 2025 Rib fractures are common among blunt chest trauma patients and are a hallmark of severe thoracic injury with high morbidity and mortality rates. The standard treatment of most rib fracture cases is limited to pain control and respiratory support, with the ... Full text Link to item CiteCompositional Control of Stereocomplexed Hydrogel Microparticle Network Formation and Physical Properties.
Journal Article Biomacromolecules · June 2025 Granular hydrogel scaffolds composed of many discrete hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) have demonstrated significant advantages over bulk hydrogels, including injectability and the flexibility to incorporate diverse chemistries, physical properties, and bioa ... Full text CiteInjectable, Solvent Free Strontium Carbonate Poly(Allyl Glycidyl Ether Succinate) Composite Networks for Vertebral Augmentation.
Journal Article Advanced healthcare materials · June 2025 Vertebral body compression fractures are a major cause of chronic back pain, particularly in older adults. Augmentation is currently performed by injecting a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) slurry of polymer, monomer, and initiator mixed with barium sulfa ... Full text Open Access CiteRecent Grants
Boston Children's/UCLA/Duke Next Generation Regeneration for Osteoarthritis (BUD NextGenRegen for OA)
ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health · 2024 - 2029Biofabrication of Surface-functionalized Composite Grafts for Vascularized Bone Regeneration Following Craniomaxillofacial Trauma
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Ohio State University · 2024 - 2028University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2027View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Washington University in St. Louis ·
2003
Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis ·
2000
M.A.
Northwest Missouri State University ·
1998
B.S.