Joseph DeSimone

Joseph DeSimone
Douglas A. Lockard · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Joseph DeSimone
Birth date	1964
Birth place	Wilmington, Delaware
Fields	Chemistry, Materials Science
Institutions	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Carbon, Inc.
Alma mater	Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley
Known for	Continuous Liquid Interface Production, polymer synthesis, organofluorine chemistry

Joseph DeSimone is an American chemist, inventor, and entrepreneur known for advances in polymer chemistry and rapid 3D printing technologies. He has held faculty positions at leading research universities and founded multiple companies to translate laboratory discoveries into commercial products. His work intersects synthetic chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering.

Early life and education

DeSimone was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and grew up in an environment shaped by regional institutions such as DuPont and regional schools. He attended Princeton University for undergraduate studies and then completed graduate work at University of California, Berkeley under advisors connected to synthetic polymer research and organofluorine chemistry. During his doctoral and postdoctoral training he interacted with scholars linked to American Chemical Society, National Institutes of Health, and national laboratories, situating his career amid networks that include Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology collaborators.

Career

DeSimone joined the faculty at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and held a joint appointment at Duke University before moving to Stanford University and later to University of California, Berkeley as a distinguished professor. He has served on advisory boards for agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Engineering, and has consulted with industrial partners including Boeing, Pfizer, and GE Healthcare. DeSimone has been active in translating academic research through partnerships with venture capital firms and incubators associated with Silicon Valley and Research Triangle Park.

Research and innovations

DeSimone's laboratory advanced techniques in controlled radical polymerization, organofluorine synthesis, and surface chemistry, contributing to fields tied to Materials Research Laboratory efforts and collaborations with investigators from Harvard University, California Institute of Technology, and Yale University. He is best known for developing Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP), an approach to additive manufacturing that accelerated stereolithography and influenced work at 3D Systems, Stratasys, and HP Inc. His group also reported innovations in nanoparticle delivery systems relevant to projects at National Institutes of Health and partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic. DeSimone's publications intersect journals associated with American Association for the Advancement of Science, Nature Publishing Group, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and his patents have been cited by inventors at IBM and Microsoft research centers.

Entrepreneurship and companies

DeSimone co-founded multiple startups to commercialize technologies from his lab, including ventures related to fluorinated polymers, drug delivery, and additive manufacturing. He helped establish firms that attracted investment from venture capitalists involved with Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and strategic partners such as BASF and Samsung. His most prominent company, Carbon, Inc., commercialized CLIP technology and engaged customers in sectors served by Nike, Adidas, General Motors, and Vodafone for prototyping and production applications. Other enterprises founded or advised by DeSimone collaborated with biotechnology companies like Amgen and Genentech and supply-chain partners including United Parcel Service and DHL for distributed manufacturing models.

Awards and honors

DeSimone has received numerous recognitions from institutions and societies, including election to the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has been awarded prizes such as the Wolf Prize in Chemistry-style accolades, medals conferred by the American Chemical Society, and honors from foundations linked to MacArthur Fellows Program-level support and national innovation prizes. Academic institutions including Princeton University, Yale University, and Harvard University have invited him for named lectureships and honorary degrees, and global organizations like World Economic Forum and Forbes have profiled his entrepreneurial impact.

Personal life

DeSimone's personal life includes ties to academic communities in California and North Carolina, with involvement in philanthropic activities supporting STEM outreach at organizations such as Smithsonian Institution-affiliated programs and regional museums. He has participated in panels alongside leaders from White House science initiatives, collaborated with policy groups connected to the Department of Energy, and engaged in mentorship of startups incubated at institutions like Stanford University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Category:American chemists Category:1964 births Category:Living people