Doctor Tirrell earned a Bachelor of Surgery in Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1974. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1978 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where his thesis advisor was Professor Otto Vogl.
A pioneer in the areas of polymer synthesis and protein biosynthesis, his research has a wide range of applications, including coatings, adhesion, lubrication, bioengineering and biomedical intervention. As of 2012 he became Director of the Beckman Institute at Caltech, succeeding Barbara Wold. In 1978, he held a postdoctoral position at Kyoto University.
Doctor Tirrell was a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Carnegie-Mellon University from 1978-1984.
He served as the Director of the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1978-1998. He moved to Caltech in 1998 and served as chairman of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech from 1999 until 2009.
He edited the Journal of Polymer Science from 1988-1999. Tirrell applies principles from biology and chemistry to polymer synthesis.
Recognizing that most synthetic polymers are mixtures, rather than pure substances, he developed pioneering techniques for the creation of precisely-defined polymers of uniform structure.
Tirrell and his co-workers have formed crystals, liquid crystals and gels with predetermined, programmable molecular architectures and accompanying properties. His work in macromolecular synthesis underlies the development of "smart" materials, which respond to external cues like temperature, pH, chemical reagents, or light. Tirrell has gone on to make important contributions to protein biosynthesis, effectively reprogramming the genetic code of biological cells to produce artificial, protein-like macromolecules.
Specialized macromolecules may provide materials for use in surgery and regenerative medicine.
Areas that he is exploring include the use of artificial amino acids in the preparation of proteins, the evolution of novel proteins, and analysis of cellular processes.
Doctor Tirrell is an elected member of all three branches of the United States National Academies: the National Academy of Science (2006), the National Academy of Engineering (2008), and the Institute of Medicine (2011). He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the American Chemical Society (2010). He has received a number of awards, including: 2011, Member, Institute of Medicine 2010, Dickson Prize in Science, Carnegie Mellon University 2008, Member, National Academy of Engineering 2007, Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (American Chemical Society) 2006, Member, National Academy of Sciences 2006, S. C. Lind Lecturer, East Tennessee Section, American Chemical Society 2004, G. N. Lewis Lecturer, University of California Berkeley 2001, American College of Surgeons Award in Polymer Chemistry 2001, Honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Eindhoven 1997, Chancellor’s Medal of the University of Massachusetts 1996, Harrison Howe Award, Rochester Section, American Chemical Society 1991, Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award.
National Academy of Sciences]
Doctor Tirrell is an elected member of all three branches of the United States National Academies: the National Academy of Science (2006), the National Academy of Engineering (2008), and the Institute of Medicine (2011). He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the American Chemical Society (2010).
