OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 08/12 Approved Through 8/31/2015)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the Senior/key personnel and other significant contributors.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Berron, Bradley J
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)
bradberron
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and
residency training if applicable.)
DEGREE
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
MM/YY
FIELD OF STUDY
(if applicable)
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre
Haute, IN
B.S.
05/02
Chemical Engineering
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Ph.D.
02/08
Chemical Engineering
08/11
Chemical and Biological
Engineering
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Postdoctoral
A. Personal Statement
The PI has been recognized with an NSF CAREER award in the area of biological separations and with a
Doctoral New Investigator Award in the field of Surface Science by the American Chemical Society. The PI has
received focused training in nanoscale coating engineering (PhD fellowship – NSF) and pediatric pulmonary
disease (postdoctoral fellowship – NIH). The PI has an extensive background in surface-initiated
polymerization and characterization. The PI’s work focuses on controlling molecular transport across novel
interfacial polymer films, resulting in seven peer reviewed publications in high impact American Chemical
Society Journals. Additionally, the PI was also the first to develop and apply interfacial polymerization
techniques on specific cellular and subcellular targets, as documented by publication in The Journal of
Histochemistry and Cytochemistry and The Journal of Nanoparticle Research. Publications in Lab on a Chip
and Biotechnology and Bioengineering, highlight the PI’s active role in developing novel diagnostic techniques
based on interfacial polymerization in both microfluidic and well plate platforms. Importantly, the PI has
developed and maintained productive relationships with M.D. researchers, including Vivek Balasubramaniam
(this proposal, Children’s Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado) in the broad field of biological
detection and with Edward Hirschowitz and Mark Evers (University of Kentucky) focusing on rare cancer cell
isolation in blood.
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
2002-2003
Pharmaceutical Validation Engineer, QVM Services, Kansas City, MO
2003-2008
Research Assistant, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
2008-2009
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
2009-2011
T32 NIH Fellow – Pediatric Pulmonary Disease, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
2011Assistant Professor - Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington,
KY
Honors
2003-2007
2003-2007
2009-2011
2012
2014
Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Fellowship
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Fellowship
Fellow: T32 Institutional Training Fellowship – Pediatric Pulmonary Disease
Doctoral New Investigator Award - American Chemical Society
NSF CAREER Award
C. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications and Patents
1. B. Berron and G. K. Jennings; “Loosely Packed Hydroxyl-Terminated SAMs on Gold,” Langmuir, 22, 72357240, 2006. PMID: 16893220
2. B. J. Berron, E. P. Graybill and G. K. Jennings; “Growth and Structure of Surface-Initiated Poly(nalkylnorbornene) Films,” Langmuir, 23, 11651-11655, 2007. PMID: 17929844
3. D. Bai, C. L. Hardwick, B. J. Berron and G. K. Jennings; “Kinetics of pH Response for Copolymer Films
with Dilute Carboxylate Functionality,” J. Phys. Chem. B., 111, 11400-11406, 2007. PMID: 17824686
4. B. J. Berron, P. A. Payne and G. K. Jennings; “Sulfonation and Characterization of Surface-Tethered
Polynorbornene,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 47, 7707-7714, 2008.
5. P. N. Ciesielski, A. M. Scott, C. J. Faulkner, B. J. Berron, D. Cliffel and G. K. Jennings; “Functionalized
Nanoporous Gold Leaf Electrode Films for the Immobilization of Photosystem I,” ACSNano, 12, 24652472, 2008. PMID: 19206280
6. B. J. Berron, C. J. Faulkner, R. E. Fischer, P. A. Payne and G. K. Jennings; “Surface-Initiated Growth of
Ionomer Films from Pt-Modified Gold Electrodes,” Langmuir, 25, 12721-12728, 2009. PMID: 19637878
7. H. J. Avens, B. J. Berron, A. M. May, K. R. Voigt, G. J. Seedorf, V. Balasubramaniam and C. N. Bowman;
“Sensitive Immunofluorescent Staining of Cells via Generation of Fluorescent Nanoscale Polymer Films in
Response to Biorecognition,” J. Histochem. Cytochem., 59, 76-87, 2011. PMID: 21339175
8. H. J. Avens, E. Chang, A. M. May, B. J. Berron, G. J. Seedorf, V. Balasubramaniam and C. N. Bowman;
“Fluorescent Polymeric Nanocomposite Films Generated by Surface-Mediated Photoinitiation of
Polymerization” J. Nanoparticle Res., 13, 331-346, 2011.
9. B. J. Berron, L. M. Johnson, X. Ba, J. D. McCall, N. J. Alvey, K. S. Anseth and C. N. Bowman; “Glucose
Oxidase Mediated Radical Chain Polymerization for Detection of Biorecognition Events in Microtiter
Assays.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 108, 1521-1528, 2011. PMID: 21337335
10. B. J. Berron, A.M. May, Z. Zheng, V. Balasubramaniam, and C. N. Bowman; “Antigen-Responsive,
Microfluidic Valves for Single Use Diagnostics." Lab on a Chip, 2012. PMID: 22218407
11. C.A. Stevens, L. Safazadeh, and B.J. Berron; “Thiol-yne Adsorbates for Stable, Low-Density, SelfAssembled Monolayers on Gold,” Langmuir, 30, 1949-1956, 2014.
D. Research Support
Ongoing Research Support_
NSF-CBET-1351531
Berron (PI)
02/14-01/19
NSF
CAREER: Artificial Cell Membranes for Ultra-Pure, High Throughput Cellular Isolation
The goal of this project is to develop the fundamental understanding of protection afforded by cellular
encapsulation. Coatings are investigated with respect to mechanical and transport properties, informing the
design for cellular protection against surfactants, hypotonic conditions, and proteases.
NSF-CMMI-1334403
Berron (PI)
09/13-08/16
NSF
Coatings for Light-Actuated Nanoscale Topography
The goal of this project is to develop light-responsive polymer coating techniques. This work is targeted to
overcome the two most significant challenges to advanced, actuated surfaces and materials: coating
deposition on geometrically-complex surfaces and patterned coating deposition for localized regions of
actuation. We designed a coating system capable of selective and specific growth of a photo-contractile
material in the complex geometries required of many advanced actuation modes.
52743-DNI5
Berron (PI)
12/12-08/15
American Chemical Society
Gas-Phase UV-Grafting on Surface-Initiated ROMP Coatings for Improved Stability
The goal of this project is to understand the degradation mechanisms for coatings formed through surface
mediated ring opening metathesis polymerization. This class of material is promising for many modes of
surface protection and surface modification, and this work seeks to prevent a chemistry-specific mode of
coating instability.