Matthew Baker's Biography

Matthew Baker, Assistant Professor, MERLN Institute, Maastricht University

Matt Baker's research interests include the synthesis and characterization of novel and dynamic materials to mimic the cellular environment and to create advanced soft materials. Of particular interest is the use of reversible supramolecular interactions (e.g. host-guest, supramolecular polymers, hydrogen bonding) to build these materials and the use of mechanochemistry to influence a material’s properties and living systems. Matt received his B.S. in chemistry (2006) at Clemson University in the United States and worked shortly for Tetramer Technologies, LLC, a start-up company commercializing novel fluoropolymers developed at Clemson University. He obtained his PhD in 2012 in Physical Organic Chemistry under the guidance of Ronald K. Castellano at the University of Florida and then moved to Eindhoven University of Technology to design and characterize water soluble supramolecular polymers under guidance of Prof. E. W. Meijer. In 2015, Matt joined the MERLN institute as a researcher, while also starting a group to explore the utility of dynamic interactions in biomaterials. In 2017, he was promoted to Assistant Professor, founding a group to rationally design, synthesize, and characterize biomaterials based around stimuli-responsive and dynamic interactions. Currently, he serves as the group’s biggest fan, and aims to train scientists at the interface of Chemistry and Bioengineering. The work of the group has been recognized by the American Chemical Society with our lab being named a 2021 PMSE Young Investigator.