The physical processes underlying the performance of adhesives and coatings are critical to applications in biomedicine, sustainability, and food science. A mechanistic understanding of how these materials achieve and maintain adhesion or lubrication is therefore needed for continued technological advancement. My group bridges the fields of interfacial science, complex fluids, and the mechanics of soft solids. We seek direct experimental evidence of atomic-level intermolecular interactions, complemented by macroscopic measurements of adhesion and friction, to address urgent biomedical and industrial challenges.
We are currently pursuing the following areas:
Bio-inspired, bio-derived materials
Interfacial mechanics of thin films
Sensory perception of foods and beverages
Professor Degen’s teaching focuses on the core chemical and biomolecular engineering curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with an emphasis on transport processes and interfacial science.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021-2025
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2021
B.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
GD Degen, CA Stevens, G Cárcamo-Oyarce, J Song, R Bej ... Mussel-inspired cross-linking mechanisms enhance gelation and adhesion of multifunctional mucin-derived hydrogels. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025
R Bej, CA Stevens, C Nie, K Ludwig, GD Degen ... Mucus‐Inspired Self‐Healing Hydrogels: A Protective Barrier for Cells against Viral Infection. Advanced Materials, 2024
GD Degen, ST Ahmed, PR Stow, A Butler, RC Andresen Eguiluz. PH-tolerant wet adhesion of catechol analogs. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2024
GD Degen, P Delparastan, BDB Tiu, PB Messersmith. Surface force measurements of mussel-inspired pressure-sensitive adhesives. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2022
GD Degen, KC Cunha, ZA Levine, JH Waite, JE Shea. Molecular context of Dopa influences adhesion of mussel-inspired peptides. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2021