• 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

  • Research areas: Biomaterials, medical devices, tissue engineering 

    Dr. Melissa A. Grunlan's laboratory focuses on developing new polymeric biomaterials for medical devices and regenerative therapies (i.e. tissue engineering).

    “Hybrid” systems based on combining inorganic and organic polymers are produced as coatings, hydrogels, elastomers and porous foams. Chemical, surface, mechanical and thermal properties are evaluated with a variety of techniques.

    Current projects are focused on developing self-cleaning membranes for implanted biosensors, clot-resistant coatings for blood-contacting devices and scaffolds for bone repair and for the regeneration of osteochondral interfaces.

Awards & Honors

  • 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