Joanna Aizenberg

About

Joanna Aizenberg is the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Co-Director of the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology. Her research group focuses on understanding the basic principles of biological architectures and how biology solves complex problems in the design of multifunctional, adaptive materials. The goal of her research is to use biological principles as guidance in developing new, bio-inspired synthetic routes and nanofabrication strategies that lead to advanced materials and devices. Her lab pursues a wide range of research interests including adaptive materials, biomineralization, surface science and self-cleaning materials, bio-inspired optics, self-assembly, nanofabrication, and bio-nano interfaces.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Materials science
• Composite material
• Nanotechnology
• Optics
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Organic chemistry
• Polymer chemistry
• Biology

Selected publications

• Mechanically robust lattices inspired by deep-sea glass sponges

  Nature Materials · 2020 · 320 citations

  DOI

• Self-regulated non-reciprocal motions in single-material microstructures

  Nature · 2022 · 167 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Liquid-induced topological transformations of cellular microstructures

  Nature · 2021 · 148 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Spiropyran Photoisomerization Dynamics in Multiresponsive Hydrogels

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2021 · 91 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  isopropylacrylamide, and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate. In acidic and neutral gels, we observe unusual nonmonotonic, triexponential fluorescence dynamics under 405 nm irradiation that cannot be explicated by either the established spiropyran-merocyanine interconversion model or hydrolysis. To explain these results, we introduce an analytical model of spiropyran interconversions that includes H-aggregated merocyanine and its light-triggered disaggregation under 405 nm irradiation. This mode…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Designing angle-independent structural colors using Monte Carlo simulations of multiple scattering

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2021 · 86 citations

  ) in an experimental system, using prescribed components and a microstructure that is easy to fabricate. Finally, we use the model to find the limits of angle-independent structural colors for a given system. These results enable an engineering design approach to structural color for many different applications.

  DOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: CDI-Type I: Developing Computational Models to Guide the Design of Chemomechanically Responsive, Reconfigurable Surfaces

  NSF · $455k · 2011–2015

Frequent coauthors

• Neville Reid Moody

  65 shared

• Tak‐Sing Wong

  Pennsylvania State University

  64 shared

• Jack Alvarenga

  60 shared

• Philseok Kim

  Harvard University

  57 shared

• Michael Aizenberg

  Harvard University

  55 shared

• C. M. Friend

  Harvard University

  53 shared

• Feng Lin

  49 shared

• David S. Ginley

  National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  49 shared

Labs

• Aizenberg GroupPI

Education

• Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1993

• M.S., Materials Science and Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1989

• B.S., Chemical Engineering

  Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

  1986

Similar researchers at Harvard University

• Xiaowei Zhuangh-158
• Joonho Leeh-134
• Eric Jacobsenh-123