• Professor, Biomedical Engineering
  • Charles H. and Bettye Barclay Professor in Engineering
  • Presidential Impact Fellow
  • Chancellor's EDGES Fellow
  • Affiliated Faculty, Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering
Melissa A. Grunlan

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles – 2004

Research Interests

    • new polymeric biomaterials for medical devices and regenerative engineering. 
    • new biomaterials, such as hydrogels, shape memory polymers, and coatings
    • self-cleaning membranes for implanted biosensors
    • clot-resistant coatings for blood-contacting devices
    • anti-cell adhesive intraocular lenses
    • shape memory polymer scaffolds for bone repair
    • synthetic cartilage

Certifications & Memberships

  • Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors – 2022
  • Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society – 2022
  • Fellow, American Chemical Society – 2019
  • Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering – 2018

Awards & Honors

  • Distinguished Service Award, American Chemical Society PMSE Division – 2021
  • Engineering Outstanding Contributions Award (William O. and Montine P. Head Memorial Research Fund), College of Engineering – 2018
  • Guest Professor, University of South Brittany, Lorient, France – 2017
  • Dean of Engineering Excellence Award – Assoc. Prof. Level, Texas A&M University – 2016-17
  • Royal Academy of Engineering Distinguished Visiting Fellowship, Imperial College London – 2015
  • Short-term Visiting Scientist Fellowship, National Institute for Materials Science; Tsukuba, Japan – 2015
  • Association of Former Students Distinguished University Level Award in Teaching, Texas A&M University – 2015-16
  • Association of Former Students Distinguished College Level Award in Teaching, College of Engineering – 2009-2010, 2015-2016