Dr. Killgore is recognized for pioneering a high-resolution measurement method to quantitatively map how viscoelastic properties of materials vary down to the nanometer scale. This enables dramatic improvements in assessing and improving the performance of soft substances such as polymers and biological matter, which often contain ultra-small heterogeneous domains. The method uses an atomic force microscope (AFM) as its foundation, and has been adopted into commercial instrumentation by the two leading suppliers of AFM technology.