UCLA chemistry professor Heather Maynard has been elected a 2017 Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering Fellow of the American Chemical Society.
Maynard’s election reflects a recognition of the many contributions she has made to the field of polymer science and engineering, specifically for her work on the synthesis of bio hybrid polymeric materials and their applications in medicine and biotechnology.
The fellows program was started in 2000 to honor members for scientific and technological contributions to polymer material science and engineering. To date, 90 fellows have been inducted.
Maynard is the principal investigator in the Maynard Research Group, which is conducting research at the frontiers of chemistry, biomaterials, biotechnology and nanotechnology. The group’s work involves a combination of organic and polymer synthesis, materials characterization and biomedical applications, currently applying polymers to the therapeutic delivery of proteins in order to treat diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The group’s work on polymers for agricultural applications focuses on meeting the urgent need to feed the growing population.
For her research at UCLA, Maynard has received several awards including the Amgen New Faculty Award, the National Science Foundation Career Award, the Alfred Sloan Fellowship and the Seaborg Award. Maynard will be inducted at the society's national meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 5.
