Faculty Directory
Samuel Stupp

Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and (by courtesy) Biomedical Engineering

Director, Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine

Director, Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science

Contact

2220 Campus Drive
Cook Hall 2036; Office - Cook 1127
Evanston, IL 60208

Email Samuel Stupp

Website

The Stupp Laboratory

Centers

Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine

Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science

Departments

Materials Science and Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Education

Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

B.S. Chemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA


Research Interests

Research in the Stupp group integrates chemistry with materials science, biology, and medicine. The overarching interest of the group is the development of self-assembling organic materials, focusing on functions relevant to energy and medicine. In the area of energy science, the laboratory’s interests include materials for solar photovoltaics, catalytic materials that can synthesize solar fuels, supramolecular ferroelectrics for non-volatile memories, and artificial muscle materials for inter-conversion of chemical and mechanical energy. In the area of medicine, the Stupp laboratory focuses on biomaterials for regenerative medicine of the brain, spinal cord, bone, cartilage and muscle, and also on targeted systemic drug delivery using nanostructures for cancer and cardiovascular applications. The organic structures of interest in both areas include visible-light-absorbing chromophores, organometallic catalysts, electron donors and acceptors, DNA, peptides, glycopeptides, and polymers, among others. The group is organized into three subgroups that meet weekly to discuss progress: Energy Materials, Biomaterials, and Supramolecular Self-Assembly. Research activities include molecular synthesis and characterization of structure with a broad suite of microscopies and synchrotron X-ray scattering, measurement of materials properties, computer simulations, construction of solar cells and other electronic devices, molecular and cell biology, and in vivo studies of the efficacy of materials and nanostructures in biomedical applications.

 


Significant Recognition

  • Member, National Academy of Sciences (2020)
  • Nanoscience Prize, International Society for Nanoscale Science, Computation, and Engineering (2020)
  • Listed in Top 1% Highly Cited Researchers, Web of Science Group (2019)
  • Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2018)
  • Most Cited Researchers in Materials Science & Engineering, Elsevier Scopus Data (2016)
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (2016)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award (2016)
  • Elected to American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows (2016)
  • Member, Royal Spanish Academy of Engineering (2015)
  • Visiting Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2015)
  • Thomson Reuters The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds (2014)
  • International Award, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2014)
  • President, International Scientific Committee of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain (2014)
  • Distinguished Visiting Scientist of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Singapore (2014)
  • Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biochemistry, University of Hong Kong (2014)
  • Creation of the Samuel I. Stupp Prize in Nanotechnology by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Costa Rica (2013)
  • Honorary Doctorate from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden Medical School (2013)
  • Australian Centre for Nanomedicine Annual Visiting Professorship (2013)
  • American Chemical Society Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry (2012)
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering (2012)
  • Member, Royal Spanish Academy of Pharmacy (2012)
  • Honorary Doctorate, National University of Costa Rica (2011)
  • Thomson Reuters Top 100 Chemists for 2000-2010 (2011)
  • Fellow, Materials Research Society (2009)
  • Distinguished Professorship, Eindhoven University of Technology (2009)
  • Israel Pollack Distinguished Lecture Series Award, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (2009)
  • Honorary Doctorate for Revolutionary Research in Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology (2009)
  • American Chemical Society Award in Polymer Chemistry (2005)
  • Fellow, World Technology Network (2003)
  • Materials Research Society Medal Award (2000)
  • Humboldt Award for Senior U.S. Scientists (1997)
  • Joliot Curie Professorship, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (1997)
  • U.S. Department of Energy Prize for Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment in Materials Chemistry (1991)
  • Xerox Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Research (1985)
  • 3M Young Faculty Award (1981)
  • 3M Young Faculty Award (1981)
  • 3M Young Faculty Award (1981)

Significant Professional Service

  • Member, Executive Advisory Board, Giant (2020)
  • Member, External Executive Committee (EEC) of CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) Nanoscience Initiative, New York, NY (2016)
  • Member, Advisory Board, Indian Association of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IANN), India (2016)
  • Organizer and Co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Materials Genome Initiative Soft Matter Summit, Washington DC (2013)
  • Member, RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science Advisory Council, Japan (2013)
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Xeltis Corporation, Zurich, Switzerland (2013)
  • Co-Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Self-Assembly & Supramolecular Chemistry in Les Diablerets, Switzerland (2013)
  • Honorary Membership, Israel Chemical Society (2009)
  • Member, World Premier International Program Advisory Committee to Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan (2008)
  • International Advisory Group, Swedish Government Program on Biomaterials, Gothenburg University (2008)
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Board, University of Vienna (2006)
  • Merck-Karl Pfister Visiting Professorship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2004)
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Board, National University of Singapore (2003)
  • Member, Baxter Scientific Advisory Board (2001)
  • Member, Solid State Sciences Committee, National Academy of Sciences (2001)
  • Member, Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, Department of Energy (1999)
  • Elected member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1998)
  • Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999)
  • Member, Materials Panel, Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1995)
  • Exclusive consultant to 3M Company (1987)

Selected Publications

  • Qiu, Ruomeng; Ji, Wei; Álvarez, Zaida; Sai, Hiroaki; Gao, Zijun; Chen, Feng; Linton, Alexander A.; Lanzetta, Nicholas J.; Goodwin, Alyssa M.; Brecount, Hogan J.; Li, Jinyuan; Inglis, Jacqueline; Kurapaty, Steven; Stock, Stuart R.; Hsu, Wellington K.; Palmer, Liam C.; Hsu, Erin L.; Stupp, Samuel I., Motion of Molecules in Supramolecular Scaffolds Enhances Bone Regeneration, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2025).
  • Gao, Zijun; Qiu, Ruomeng; Dave, Dhwanit R.; Chandravanshi, Palash; Soares, Gisele P.; Smith, Cara S.; Ortega, J. Alberto; Palmer, Liam C.; Álvarez, Zaida; Stupp, Samuel I., Supramolecular Copolymerization of Glycopeptide Amphiphiles and Amyloid Peptides Improves Neuron Survival, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2025).
  • Đorđević, Luka; Jaynes, Tyler J.; Sai, Hiroaki; Barbieri, Marianna; Kupferberg, Jacob E.; Sather, Nicholas A.; Weigand, Steven; Stupp, Samuel I., Mechanical and Light Activation of Materials for Chemical Production, Advanced Materials (2025).
  • Egner, Simon A.; Agrawal, Mayank; Sai, Hiroaki; Dore, Michael D.; Palmer, Liam C.; Stupp, Samuel I., Functional Design of Peptide Materials Based on Supramolecular Cohesion, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2025).
  • Wu, Huang; Wang, Yu; Đorđević, Luka; Kundu, Pramita; Bhunia, Surojit; Chen, Aspen X.Y.; Feng, Liang; Shen, Dengke; Liu, Wenqi; Zhang, Long; Song, Bo; Wu, Guangcheng; Liu, Bai Tong; Yang, Moon Young; Yang, Yong; Stern, Charlotte L.; Stupp, Samuel I.; Goddard, William A.; Hu, Wenping; Stoddart, J. Fraser, Dynamic supramolecular snub cubes, Nature (2025).
  • Cezan, S. Doruk; Li, Chuang; Kupferberg, Jacob; Ðorđević, Luka; Aggarwal, Aaveg; Palmer, Liam C.; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica; Stupp, Samuel I., Fast Photoactuation Driven by Supramolecular Polymers Integrated into Covalent Networks, Advanced Functional Materials (2024).
  • Cezan, S. Doruk; Aggarwal, Aaveg; Li, Chuang; Yuan, Hang; Palmer, Liam C.; de la Cruz, Monica Olvera; Stupp, Samuel I., Autonomous phototaxis of hydrogel swimmers, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2024).
  • Sollenberger, Christopher H.; Qiu, Ruomeng; Sai, Hiroaki; Carrow, James K.; Fyrner, Timmy; Gao, Zijun; Palmer, Liam C.; Stupp, Samuel I., Boosting chondrocyte bioactivity with ultra-sulfated glycopeptide supramolecular polymers, Acta Biomaterialia (2024).