Cole A. DeForest

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About

Cole A. DeForest is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of biomaterials, synthetic biology, and regenerative medicine. His work focuses on designing dynamic, user-programmable hydrogels that mimic the complexity of native extracellular matrices, enabling unprecedented control over cellular behavior. DeForest’s major contributions include the development of photodegradable and photoswitchable hydrogels that allow for spatiotemporal manipulation of biochemical cues, as well as the creation of "smart" materials with reversible shape-memory and self-healing properties. His 2016 paper on soft shape-memory materials (11 citations) laid foundational groundwork for responsive biomaterials. With over 5,000 total citations to date, DeForest’s innovations have been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award and a Packard Fellowship. His lab’s work on 4D cell culture platforms—where cells can be dynamically guided through space and time—has opened new avenues for tissue engineering, drug screening, and fundamental studies of cell signaling. For students and researchers, DeForest represents a model of how chemical engineering and biology can merge to create truly adaptive, life-like materials.