Professor emeritus Dr. Allan Hoffman (1932-2023)

Dr. Allan Hoffman (1932-2023), an international ‘ambassador for biomaterials,’ passed away on December 15, 2023. After joining the University of Washington faculty in 1970, he began to synthesize polymers and hydrogels with special physical and biomedical properties. By combining these special biomaterials with drugs, enzymes and antibodies, he pioneered the applications of temperature and pH-responsive intelligent polymers and hydrogels in the fields of drug delivery, diagnostic assays and biologically-active and non-fouling polymer surfaces. Much of his research has been carried out with Department of Bioengineering collaborators Buddy Ratner, Thomas Horbett and Patrick Stayton. Dr. Hoffman was inventor or co-inventor on 273 patent applications, of which 113 were issued; several of these were licensed to industry.

UW Medicine’s influential scientists: Allan Hoffman