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Understanding external factors that determine cellular phenotypic responses is of key interest in the field of biomaterials. Currently, material surface characteristics, protein adsorption and cellular phenotypic responses are all considered to be interrelated and ultimately determine the biocompatibility of materials. The exact nature of the relationship between these distinct, yet related, phenomena still remains to be elucidated. Through the use of a series of thermoresponsive N-isopropylacrylamide-based co-polymer films, we aimed to shed light on the relationship between surface hydrophobicity, protein adsorption and subsequent cellular response. Despite changes in co-polymer hydrophobicity mediated by altered ratios of constituent monomers, differential cellular response was only apparent in the presence of serum. Co-polymer films displayed alterations with respect to the amount of protein adsorbed on the …