Brandon R. Clarke named an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow

Brandon R. Clarke, a postdoctoral researcher in materials science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), has been named a 2025 Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow by The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

The foundation awarded more than $4.3 million in funding over the next three years to 14 research fellows from eight universities and research institutions. Awardees underscore the foundation’s mission of “supporting basic research in chemical sciences and chemical instrumentation.” 

Clarke works in the lab of Jennifer Lewis, the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at SEAS. The Beckman fellowship provides financial support and access to a large network of chemists associated with the foundation.  

The funding will allow Clarke to develop a series of printable bottlebrush materials with recyclable crosslinks and energy-efficient curing mechanisms. The materials have strong potential applications in field printing, biomedical device fabrication, the automotive industry, and perhaps even space travel.

“The Lewis Lab has just the sort of environment needed to catalyze the development and application of independent research projects like this one,” Clarke said.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation aims to facilitate breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences by supporting “creative, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research.” It was founded in 1977 by 20th century scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman.

Another Harvard researcher, Jonah Peter, also received a 2025 Beckman fellowship.