Michael Roukes is the Frank J. Roshek Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a B.A. in Physics and Chemistry, double major, from the University of California, Santa Cruz (1978), and a Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University (1985), where his doctoral thesis focused on hot electrons and energy transport in metals at millikelvin temperatures under advisor Robert C. Richardson, Nobel Laureate in ultralow temperature physics. After his Ph.D., Roukes worked as Member of Technical Staff and Principal Investigator in the Quantum Structures Research Group at Bell Communications Research (1985-1992), conducting early explorations of nanoelectronic device physics. He joined Caltech's faculty in 1992 as Associate Professor of Physics, was promoted to Professor in 1996, held the Robert M. Abbey Professorship from 2011 to 2017, and assumed his current endowed chair in 2018. Roukes served as Founding Director of Caltech's Kavli Nanoscience Institute (2003-2006) and Co-Director (2008-2013). He is also Co-Founder of APIX Analytics, S.A. in Grenoble, France (2011-present).

Roukes's research specializes in nanobiotechnology, nanotechnology, nanoscale physics, and nanoscale and molecular mechanics. His group develops nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) for single-molecule protein analysis, proteomics, neuroscience applications, quantum measurements, and integrated neurophotonics. Notable advancements include zeptogram-scale nanomechanical mass sensing, inertial imaging, and implantable photonic neural probes. Highly cited publications encompass "Spintronics: a spin-based electronics vision for the future" (Science, 2001), "Nanoelectromechanical systems" (Review of Scientific Instruments, 2005), "Thermoelastic damping in micro- and nanomechanical systems" (Physical Review B, 2000), and the book "Fundamentals of Nanomechanical Resonators" (Springer, 2016). Roukes has earned the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award (2023), NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2010), Chevalier in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (France, 2012), and American Physical Society Fellowship (1999). He has delivered distinguished lectures worldwide, including the Niels Bohr Lecture (2014), Cooper Lecture (2015), and others, and serves on national and international committees advancing nanoscience.

Professional Email: roukes@caltech.edu