Professor Renuka Balakrishna’s research is at the intersection of Mechanics and Materials Science. Her research is centered on the observation that the interplay between microstructures, instabilities, and material constants can profoundly affect a material's physical properties. She aims to develop continuum theories to understand and predict material behavior, with the ultimate goal of designing materials with extended lifespans and enhanced functionality. Her theory-guided materials design approach has been applied to a variety of systems, including battery materials, magnetic and ferroelectric compounds, and light-interactive molecular crystals.