Monica Olvera de la Cruz

Monica Olvera de la Cruz is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on developing theoretical models to study the conformation, organization, and dynamics of macromolecules in complex environments, including multicomponent solutions of synthetic and biological molecules, and molecular electrolytes. Her group designs functional nano-structured materials by creating algorithms to describe the organization of amphiphiles, copolymers, and polyelectrolytes into fibers, gels, membranes, and crystals. She also analyzes interfaces in complex fluids and their relevance to biology and biomimetic functions.

Monica Olvera de la Cruz is a Lawyer Taylor Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, specializing in soft matter, biomimetic materials, electrostatics, self-assembly, and computational simulations. Her research explores the self-assembly of gels, DNA-mediated nanoparticle crystallization, and electrostatic control of block copolymer morphology. She investigates supramolecular systems, polyelectrolyte behavior, and the role of nonbonding interactions in conjugated polymers. Her work also includes molecular simulations of peptide amphiphile self-assembly and the development of all-polymer solar cells through molecular weight tuning. Her research bridges theoretical and experimental approaches to design functional materials with tunable properties.