Catherine Reyes is a research scientist within the Responsive & Active Materials and Manufacturing (RAMM) group in the Materials Engineering Divison. She is interested in projects that explore and challenge how hybrid and colloidal materials are made, focusing on where and how they can aid national, and global security mission priorities. To this end, with a background in soft matter science and chemistry, Catherine’s usual work day involves learning from, and collaborating with engineers across the division to achieve functional material goals by exploiting various advanced and additive manufacturing processes. 

Excited to support the lab’s growth towards achieving greater inter-directorate and multidisciplinary collaborations, she has contributed to projects at the interface of biology, engineering and applied chemistry, also often exploring opportunities to cross-collaborate on proposals in these areas. In 2022 Catherine led a 9-month study to modernize DNA tagged aerosols useful for understanding aerosol transport in various environments. More recently, she has contributed to developing formulations for creating shape changing anisotropic materials with liquid crystalline properties.

Catherine has also been chair of the LLNL American Physical Society (APS) Chapter (2022-2024) and supports efforts encouraging the inclusion of people of color, LGBTQIA+ and other socially disenfranchised minorities to be part of the broad STEM community.

Catherine earned a Ph.D in chemistry from the University of Luxembourg, a MS in fiber materials science, and BA in chemistry & chemical biology from Cornell University.