Leo Romero (he/him)
Ph.D. Student, 1st year / Materials
Co-advised with Christopher Bates
B.S. Chemistry / Harvey Mudd College (2025)
Research interests:
My research targets the synthesis and characterization of sequence-defined polypeptoids while leveraging orthogonal chemistries to elucidate structure-property relationships.
Bio:
I was born and raised in sunny Santa Monica, California and went on to study chemistry at Harvey Mudd College. At Mudd, I conducted research on the characterization of peptide amphiphile nanofibers for molecular sensors under Whitney Fowler. For my thesis, I focused on the synthesis side of polymer chemistry, where I studied antimicrobial polymers under Spencer Brucks. Before arriving at Santa Barbara, I conducted a research internship in the Netherlands at TU Delft studying self-healing polymers under Rienk Eelkema. Outside of research, I enjoy any and all outdoor activities, such as hiking, surfing, and skiing, and on days that I don’t go out, I play a lot of videogames.