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

Educational Background

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

Research Interests

  • Areas of interest: Biomaterials, Polymers, Medical Devices, Tissue Engineering 

    Dr. Melissa A. Grunlan's laboratory focuses on developing new polymeric biomaterials for medical devices and regenerative engineering. 

    New biomaterials have been developed as hydrogels, shape memory polymers, and coatings.

    Current projects are focused on developing 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, and synthetic cartilage.

Awards & Honors

  • Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2022
  • Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors, 2022
  • Distinguished Service Award, American Chemical Society PMSE Division, 2021
  • Fellow, American Chemical Society, 2019
  • Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2018
  • 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, 2009-10 and 20-2016
  • Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Faculty Fellow, College of Engineering, 2013-14
  • British Petroleum (BP) Teaching Excellence Award, College of Engineering 2012-13
  • Herbert H. Richardson Faculty Fellow Award, College of Engineering, 2010-11
  • Doctoral Research Award, University of Southern California, College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, 2005