Dr. David Tirrell

Biography

David Tirrell is the Provost and the Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. He has held the position of Chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from 1999 to 2009 and has served as Director of the Beckman Institute from 2012 to 2018. He became Provost in 2017. Tirrell earned his B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974 and his M.S. from the University of Massachusetts in 1976. He completed his Ph.D. in 1978 and has been an influential figure in the study of biocatalysis, biomaterials, polymer science, protein engineering, and macromolecular chemistry. His research focuses on creating new macromolecular systems with controlled architecture and novel functions, particularly through the use of artificial proteins that bridge the gap between natural and synthetic polymers. His work seeks to address the challenges of incorporating non-canonical amino acids into proteins for improved biomaterials design and proteomic analysis. He has been contributing to advancing the field with innovative methods for protein modification and studying protein evolution.

Research Interests

Experience