Meet Assistant Professor Ashley Guo

Following a three-year appointment as a postdoctoral assistant at NYU’s Center for Soft Matter Research Ashley Guo joined the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering as an assistant professor in September 2023.Since her arrival on campus, she has been impressed by the warmth of her interactions with staff, faculty, and CBE students.  

Four Questions for Assistant Professor Ashley Guo  

What fueled your passion for CBE? 

I love how interdisciplinary chemical engineering can be, as well as its emphasis on research that tackles real world challenges. I really enjoy working at the intersection of engineering, chemistry, physics, biology and math to not only understand the world around us, but also to create new materials that can address societal needs and challenges. 

What is your current research focus? 

My current research focuses on combining molecular simulations with tools from machine learning and concepts from information theory to discover and design new materials that target health and sustainability applications. For example, one potential application that I find really exciting is developing materials for contaminant capture and clean water. 

Who is most likely to benefit from your research? 

I hope that eventually we will develop not only new materials that improve the wellbeing of future generations, but also new computational tools that can be used by the greater chemical engineering community. 

Are your students involved in your research? 

Of course. There is no project that is just mine. Once my first graduate students join my group at the end of this fall term, they will play a major active role in my group’s research, as well as help me shape our group’s future culture.