Carin A. Helfer, Ph.D.

Carin A. Helfer, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Biography: 

Carin A. Helfer, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU). She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Akron (UA). Prior to receiving her Ph.D., she was employed as a research tire compounder at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Carin’s graduate studies involved investigating the conformations of profisetinidin dimers, which are a class of condensed tannins. During her postdoctoral studies at UA, she used coarse-grain modeling to study the conformations of synthetic polymers. At UA, she also held positions focused on science education outreach to students; was a Research Scientist in Biomedical Engineering; and was a Research Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In her current position at OSU, she is interested in understanding structure-property relationships of polymers, especially natural rubber, with a focus on sustainability.

Selected publications:

Puskas, J.E.; Helfer, C.A. Natural Rubber Biosynthesis:  Still a Mystery. Rubber Chem. Tech. 2018, 91, (4), 683-700. DOI:  10.5254/rct.18.81529. Helfer, C.A.; Davis, B.L.; Davis, T. Biomedical Engineering Twist to Science Fairs. Science Scope 2016, 39(5), 20-26. Helfer, C.A.; Chen, D.; Mattice, W.L.; Farmer, B.L. Conformations Produced by Interactions of the Side Chains in the Poly(silylenemethylene) with Repeating Sequence [Si(CH3)R-CH2]x, R = -O(CH2)3OC6H4C6H5. Journal of Polymer Science B (Polymer Physics) 2005, 43(8), 886-896. DOI: 10.1002/polb.20381. Her faculty page: https://fabe.osu.edu/our-people/carin-helfer