Alex was born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts. He started his undergraduate career at the University of Chicago in Autumn 2016 and joined the de Pablo group in the Spring 2017. Alex is pursuing a major in molecular engineering and a minor in computer science. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and squash, playing board games, and watching Boston sports teams.
Conjugated polymers have tremendous potential for use in a variety of organic semiconductor-based devices. One specific application is in organic photovoltaics, as conjugated polymers can be manufactured into photovoltaics using inexpensive solution-processing methods rather than expensive nanofabrication methods required for silicon-based photovoltaics. Alex is interested in developing coarse-grained models for simulating conjugated materials. Additionally, he is interested in using advanced computational techniques such as machine learning to develop measures for exciton transport in these materials, bypassing the need for expensive quantum mechanical calculations. These techniques can be used to map how different combinations of molecular design parameters lead to favorable electronic properties in self-assembled conjugated polymers.