Meet our new UW MolE cohort

The Molecular Engineering and Science Institute (MolES) is excited to introduce the newest cohort of Ph.D. candidates to the Molecular Engineering program. Their pioneering research, which spans diverse fields such as advanced drug delivery systems and sustainable material innovation, has the potential to revolutionize industries and tackle some of the most urgent global challenges. Get to know our 13 new students.

Cole DeForest named new Director of Education at UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute

Cole DeForest, Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor and associate chair for graduate studies in chemical engineering, has been appointed Director of Education at the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MolES). DeForest succeeds Alshakim Nelson, NIST Faculty Fellow and professor of chemistry. DeForest will lead the Molecular Engineering (MolE) Ph.D. Program, an interdisciplinary graduate program housed in the UW Graduate School and administered by the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute. He will direct the academic program and oversee a faculty committee responsible for curriculum, admissions, and student oversight. Read More

Scientists solve chemical mystery at the interface of biology and technology

Researchers who want to bridge the divide between biology and technology spend a lot of time thinking about translating between the two different “languages” of those realms. “Our digital technology operates through a series of electronic on-off switches that control the flow of current and voltage,” said Rajiv Giridharagopal, a research scientist at the University of Washington. “But our bodies operate on chemistry. In our brains, neurons propagate signals electrochemically, by moving ions — charged atoms or molecules — not electrons.”