Joseph DeSimone


Joseph M. DeSimone is an American chemist, inventor and entrepreneur, best known as the 2008 recipient of the $500,000 Lemelson–MIT Prize and as the co-founder and CEO of Carbon, an American technology company.
He is the Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University. DeSimone is also an adjunct member at .
DeSimone has published over 350 scientific articles and has over 200 issued patents in his name with over 200 patents pending.

Education

Joseph DeSimone received his BS in Chemistry in 1986 from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1990 from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Career

DeSimone is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In the 1990s he developed an environmentally friendly manufacturing process that relies on supercritical carbon dioxide instead of water and bio-persistent surfactants for the creation of fluoropolymers or high-performance plastics, such as Teflon. In 2002 DeSimone, along with Dr. Richard Stack, a cardiologist at Duke University, co-founded Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions to commercialize a fully bioabsorbable, drug-eluting stent. BVS was acquired by Guidant in 2003. The technology is now marketed by Abbott Vascular for the treatment of coronary artery disease.
In recent years DeSimone’s academic research group has been heavily focused on learning how to bring the precision, uniformity and mass production techniques associated with the fabrication of nanoscale features found in the microelectronics industry to the nanomedicine field for the fabrication and delivery of vaccines and therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of diseases. Developed in the , the PRINT technology is central to the group's work.
DeSimone’s academic laboratory and the PRINT technology became a foundation for the Carolina Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence funded by the National Cancer Institute. DeSimone also co-founded in 2004 based on PRINT.
Currently, DeSimone is on sabbatical leave from the University of North Carolina and is the co-founder and CEO of American technology company and manufacturer, Carbon, which develops printers with the Continuous Liquid Interface Production technology.

Awards and honors

DeSimone was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor in the U.S. for achievements related to technological progress, by President Barack Obama at the White House in May 2016. In 2017, Dr. DeSimone received the 22nd Annual Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy, and Employment.
He is also the recipient of the 2015 ; the 2014 IRI Medal; the 2014 Dickson Prize in Science; the 2014 American Chemical Society ; the 2012 , presented by , The Scientific Research Society, to honor and promote creativity in science and engineering; the in recognition of his efforts to advance diversity in the chemistry PhD workforce; the 2009 NIH Director's Pioneer Award; the 2009 North Carolina Award, the highest honor the State of North Carolina can bestow to recognize notable achievements of North Carolinians in the fields of Literature, Science, the Fine Arts and Public Service; the 2008 Tar Heel of the Year by the Raleigh News & Observer; the 2007 Collaboration Success Award from the Council for Chemical Research; the 2005 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention; the 2002 John Scott Award presented by the Board of Directors of City Trusts, Philadelphia, given to "the most deserving" men and women whose inventions have contributed in some outstanding way to the "comfort, welfare and happiness" of mankind; the 2002 Engineering Excellence Award by DuPont; the 2002 Wallace H. Carothers Award from the Delaware Section of the American Chemical Society; and the 2000 Oliver Max Gardner Award from the University of North Carolina. In 2019, DeSimone received the Wilhelm Exner Medal in Polymer Manufacturing.