Northwestern University · NeuroscienceMirkin Nanotechnology Lab
Chad A. Mirkin · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Chad Mirkin's lab focuses on using innovative nanotechnology to develop new vaccines for melanoma, a challenging form of skin cancer. They explore spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) that can deliver targeted immune responses to combat tumor cells. This research aims to improve treatment outcomes for melanoma patients and advance the field of cancer immunotherapy.
nanotechnologymelanomacancer vaccinesspherical nucleic acidsimmunotherapyimmune responsetumor antigensadjuvants
Research Aims
3AIM 01Develop SNA vaccines that precisely present melanoma-associated antigens to stimulate the immune system.
AIM 02Investigate the uptake and activation kinetics of SNAs in immune cells.
AIM 03Evaluate the antitumor efficacy of SNA vaccines in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Skills the Lab Values
synthesis of nanostructuresvaccine developmentcell culturemouse modelsimmunological assaysflow cytometryPCRin vivo imagingprotein analysisbioinformatics
Output against the department
Publications1,688top 1% of dept.8th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations163ktop 1% of dept.6th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.