Before joining Purdue University, he was a staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

[1] Strachan became a staff scientist in the Theoretical Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2002, staying until becoming a faculty member at Purdue in 2005.

With these methods he studies problems of technological importance including coupled electronic, thermal, and mechanical processes in nano-electronics, MEMS and energy conversion devices; thermo-mechanical response and chemistry of polymers, polymer composites, and molecular solids; as well as active materials including shape-memory alloys and high-energy density materials.

He previously served as the deputy director of the NNSA Center for the Prediction of Reliability, Integrity and Survivability of Microsystems (PRISM).

[3][4] Strachan is also active in education, particularly through nanoHUB, including the fully open and online course "From Atoms to Materials: Predictive Theories and Simulations".