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About

Thao D. Nguyen is a leading figure in the development of smart, stimuli-responsive hydrogels for soft robotics and biomedical applications. Her research focuses on creating programmable materials that can autonomously change shape and move in response to environmental cues such as temperature, pH, and even specific DNA sequences. Nguyen’s major contributions include pioneering self-folding microgrippers and shape-changing hydrogels that can bend, twist, and actuate on demand. Her landmark 2015 paper on “Self-Folding Thermo-Magnetically Responsive Soft Microgrippers” has garnered over 636 citations, while her 2017 work on DNA sequence–directed shape change has accumulated 444 citations, underscoring her impact on the field. She has also advanced 4D printing with her bioinspired dual-gel tubes (151 citations) and demonstrated untethered crawling gels that move by exploiting asymmetry in contact forces. Nguyen’s work bridges materials science, mechanics, and biology, offering transformative tools for soft robotics, programmable matter, and smart medicine.