The research interests of the CMAM Lab lie in understanding the physical, microstructural, and chemical properties of materials when subjected to mechanical loading or environmental aging. This is accomplished by combining experiments and theory with novel predictive numerical models to simulate the mechanical response and the microstructural features of engineering materials and to optimize their responses during manufacturing and under in-service conditions. The lab research activities fall into four main themes: first, developing multi-scale, physically based material models; second, optimizing advanced manufacturing processes and building AI-based digital twins; third, modeling the micro-mechanical behavior and predicting the fatigue failure of semicrystalline polymer and elastomeric materials. Additionally, the lab is dedicated to improving the recyclability of plastic materials and integrating them into a circular economic process.