James Schneider
Professor, Chemical Engineering
Director of Facilities, IT, and Safety, Chemical Engineering
Courtesy Appointment, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry
James Schneider is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His research involves the use of bio-inspired materials for improved biosensing and bioseparations. His group has invented a rapid, gel-free method to electrophoretically separate DNA using end-attached micelles. The method is 10-100x faster than commercial methods and ongoing work centers on applying the method to forensic analysis, genomic analysis, and recovery of trace miRNA biomarkers for cancer diagnostics. Other research interests include the use of synthetic nucleic acid analogues for large-scale plasmid DNA purification and use of amino-acid-linked surfactants for controlled release of therapeutics and charging in nonpolar media.
Schneider received an NSF CAREER Award in 2001, a Beckman Young Investigator Award in 2002, and was awarded the Kun Li Award for Excellence in Education in 2005 and 2012. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Improving DNA Testing Using Surfactants Instead of Gels
Education
1998 Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota
1992 BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin
Affiliations
Media mentions
CMU Engineering
Carnegie Mellon lands ARPA-H award for implantable bioelectric medicine project
A CMU-led project team secured an award of up to $42M from ARPA-H to accelerate the development of implantable bioelectronic devices that deliver patient-specific therapy and monitor disease status.
Chemical Engineering
Student spotlight: Bilal Chaudhry
During his summer research internship at a top-ranked cancer center, undergraduate Bilal Chaudhry is drawing from his engineering courses and his research with Professor Jim Schneider.
Chemical Engineering
Student spotlight: Yunfei Niu
Yunfei Niu shares how the MS in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering program is preparing her for job and research opportunities in both biological sciences and chemical engineering.
Chemical Engineering
Student spotlight: Divyam Shah
In his summer internship, master’s student Divyam Shah is optimizing and developing new formulations and drug delivery systems. He’s preparing for a career in pharmaceutical research and development.
CMU Engineering
Early detection of viruses in biopharma
Researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering are collaborating with Genentech and LumaCyte to develop an advanced biomanufacturing technology for adventitious agent testing.
CMU Engineering
Department news
The initiatives underway in the College’s departments embody the value we place on progress. Here are some of our current projects and prides.