Despite traditional bulk approaches, we investigate the role of heterogeneities in complex materials by measuring dynamic processes on characteristic length- and timescales. To do so, we convert electron microscopy and optical super-resolution approaches into non-invasive and time-resolved microscopies of soft materials, uncovering surprising variations to explain emergent macroscopic material properties. These soft materials range from plastic semiconductors intended for next-generation photovoltaics to complex biomolecules found in photosynthesis or in the membranes of our cells.

Awards and Achievements

  • Kavli Fellow–NAS Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium ( 2018)
  • UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development ( 2018)
  • Miller Professor UC Berkeley ( 2017 - 2018)
  • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award ( 2016)
  • UC Berkeley Department of Chemistry Teaching Award ( 2015)
  • Donald Sterling Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching ( 2015)
  • Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship ( 2015)
  • UC Berkeley Department of Chemistry Teaching Award ( 2013)
  • DARPA Young Faculty Awardee ( 2012)
  • Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering ( 2011)
  • Cupola Era Endowed Chair in the College of Chemistry ( 2010-2012)