Kenichi Kuroda, PhD
Dr. Kenichi Kuroda is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, School of Dentistry at the University of Michigan. He also has appointments in Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center. He received his B. Eng. in Polymer Chemistry and M. Eng. in Biological Chemistry from Kyoto University, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT in 2003. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Michigan in 2006, he was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Dr. Kuroda’s research interests include the development of simple, cost-effective, and versatile antimicrobial materials based on synthetic polymers to strengthen our arsenal in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria “superbugs”. His current research focuses on a new molecular design of antimicrobial polymers as synthetic mimics of naturally occurring host-defense antimicrobial peptides in the innate immune system. His laboratory also works on the antimicrobial/anti-fouling polymer coatings to prevent biofilm formation on medical plastics. In addition to the synthesis of new materials, his research approach also uses biophysical and physicochemical methods to deepen our understanding on the polymer-bacteria interactions at the molecular level to discover a new mode of antimicrobial action for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. Kuroda’s work has been funded by the NIH (NIDCR), NSF (DMR), Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), and Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative (MUCI).
Dr. Kuroda currently serves as a member of Associate Editorial Board of Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers. He reviews for numerous journals in polymer science and engineering and biomaterials. He received NSF Career Award (Biomaterials).