Christopher Cooper

Research

Christopher Cooper’s research at WashU focuses on using dynamic polymers to create responsive, soft materials for applications in energy storage, environmental sustainability and human health. Through advanced synthesis and characterization, his research group designs polymers with distinct molecular designs and reversible bonds for applications including wearable or implantable electronic devices, recyclable underwater adhesives, soft actuators, and upcycling of industrial plastics. Cooper has published more than 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and given numerous conference presentations and invited talks.
   

Biography

Christopher Cooper joined the McKelvey Engineering faculty in Fall 2024 in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (EECE) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS). He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University (advised by Prof. Zhenan Bao) as well as an MPhil in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge (advised by Prof. Jacqueline Cole) and a BS in Chemical Engineering and a BS in Economics from North Carolina State University (advised by Prof. Michael Dickey).

Cooper has received numerous honors, including the 2024 Scialog Fellow for Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials, the NIST NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the Churchill Scholarship, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and the Park Scholarship. He has also received several teaching awards from Stanford and won numerous awards at North Carolina State University.