Education

• Ph.D., Princeton University, 1967

• B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1963

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Professor Cooper, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, conducts research in the areas of polymer physics, block polymers, ionomers, polyurethanes, and biomaterials.

As a true pioneer in the biomaterials field, Cooper's immense contributions both in fundamental understanding and in technological application broke vital new ground in understanding interactions of polymeric materials with physiological fluids and tissues since more than 40 years ago.

He is known worldwide for his fundamental work on phase separation in block polymers, which are responsible for the good mechanical properties of many widely-used polymers such as the polyurethanes used in the high-performance thermoplastic elastomer industry. He also led the field in defining biomedical polyurethanes from both a chemical and physical perspective, and wrote two major books in the field. His early research integrating chemical engineering with the then-emerging discipline of biomedical engineering has much advanced polymer blood compatibility and biocompatibility. 

He is no longer accepting graduate students.