Professor Paula Hammond stands as a preeminent leader in materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding the prestigious rank of Institute Professor and serving as Executive Vice Provost for Faculty. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1984, followed by a Master's degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988, and returned to MIT to complete her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1993 under Michael F. Rubner's supervision. After conducting postdoctoral research with George M. Whitesides at Harvard University through an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship, she joined the MIT faculty in 1995 as an assistant professor. In 2015, she made history as the first woman and person of color appointed as head of MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering, breaking barriers in academic leadership while advancing the field of chemical engineering.
Professor Hammond pioneered the Layer-by-Layer assembly technique, which creates precisely engineered thin films through alternating positively and negatively charged molecules for biomedical applications, fundamentally transforming drug delivery systems. Her groundbreaking research has developed electrostatic polymer systems for targeted therapeutic delivery, including nanoparticles that specifically bind to tumors for cancer treatment and thin film coatings that release proteins for bone regeneration. She has also engineered advanced wound dressings that release RNA to accelerate healing and created self-assembled materials systems for electrochemical energy devices including batteries and fuel cells. With over 320 publications and more than 20 patent applications, her work establishes foundational principles at the intersection of nanotechnology, polymer chemistry, and biomedical engineering, enabling unprecedented control over therapeutic release mechanisms.
Distinguished as one of only twenty-five scientists elected to all three National Academies (Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine), Professor Hammond's influence extends across multiple disciplines and national initiatives. She serves as a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, the MIT Energy Initiative, and is a founding member of the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, demonstrating her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Professor Hammond contributes her expertise as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and through scientific advisory roles at LayerBio, Inc. and Moderna Therapeutics. Recognized with numerous honors including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry, and the James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, she continues to advance the frontiers of nanomedicine while mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers.
