L. Catherine Brinson

Sharon C. and Harold L. Yoh, III Distinguished Professor

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Sharon C. and Harold L. Yoh, III Distinguished Professor
  • Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Donald M. Alstadt Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 3379 Fciemas Building, Duke Campus, Durham, NC 27708
  • Office Phone: (919) 660-5310
  • Email Address: cate.brinson@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • B.S. Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, 1985
  • M.S. California Institute of Technology, 1986
  • Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 1990

Research Interests

Mechanics of materials, with emphasis on complex hierarchical materials and polymer based systems, and merging concepts of data science into materials. Nanoscale and bulk scale experimental characterization, modeling and simulation of the behavior of materials, including physics based and machine learning approaches. Her lab’s research objective is to characterize and model advanced materials systems, bridging across scales, to develop new understanding of material mechanisms and transfer knowledge into FAIR datasets towards novel material design.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • A.C. Eringen Medal. Society of Engineering Science (SES). 2022
  • Fellow. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2020
  • Nadai Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 2014
  • Fellow. American Academy of Mechanics. 2013
  • Fellow. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2009
  • Fellow. Society for Engineering Science. 2007
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Prize. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. 2006
  • Thomas JR Hughes Young Investigator Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2003
  • National Science Foundation CAREER Awards - Multiple Sciences. National Science Foundation (NSF). 1995

Courses Taught

  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 591: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Brinson, L Catherine, Laura M. Bartolo, Ben Blaiszik, David Elbert, Ian Foster, Alejandro Strachan, and Peter W. Voorhees. “Community action on FAIR data will fuel a revolution in materials research.” Mrs Bulletin, March 29, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-023-00498-4.
  • Nepal, Dhriti, Saewon Kang, Katarina M. Adstedt, Krishan Kanhaiya, Michael R. Bockstaller, L Catherine Brinson, Markus J. Buehler, et al. “Hierarchically structured bioinspired nanocomposites.” Nature Materials 22, no. 1 (January 2023): 18–35. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-022-01384-1.
  • Chen, Z., A. Ogren, C. Daraio, L. C. Brinson, and C. Rudin. “How to see hidden patterns in metamaterials with interpretable machine learning.” Extreme Mechanics Letters 57 (November 1, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2022.101895.
  • Burkhart, Craig, Bing Jiang, George Papakonstantopoulos, Patrycja Polinska, Hongyi Xu, Richard J. Sheridan, L Catherine Brinson, and Wei Chen. “Data-Driven Multiscale Science for Tread Compounding.” Tire Science and Technology, June 23, 2022. https://doi.org/10.2346/tire.22.21003.
  • Deagen, Michael E., Jamie P. McCusker, Tolulomo Fateye, Samuel Stouffer, L Cate Brinson, Deborah L. McGuinness, and Linda S. Schadler. “FAIR and Interactive Data Graphics from a Scientific Knowledge Graph.” Scientific Data 9, no. 1 (May 2022): 239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01352-z.