Chad Mirkin Receives American Chemical Society’s Top Honor

Northwestern University’s Chad A. Mirkin will receive the 2027 Priestley Medal from the American Chemical Society (ACS) in recognition of his landmark research and distinguished service to the field of chemistry. It is the highest honor bestowed by the world’s largest scientific society.

A global leader in supramolecular chemistry, nanoscience, and nanotechnology, Mirkin has transformed how chemists design, synthesize, and apply nanoscale materials. His work has led to the discovery and development of new classes of nanomaterials, including spherical nucleic acids. These tiny nanostructures have led to life-changing diagnostic tools and therapeutics based on the principles of structural nanomedicine. They also have laid a foundation for new approaches to design and synthesize new forms of nanoscale matter through colloidal crystal engineering with DNA. 

“The Priestley Medal is a signature honor for a chemist,” Mirkin said. “The list of past winners is extraordinary, including many of the scientific luminaries of the last century, like Northwestern’s Fred Basolo, who played a key role in convincing me to come to Northwestern. It further validates what we set out to do three decades ago—to transform Northwestern into a scientific powerhouse and make it the world leader in nanoscience. It is an important recognition that also encompasses the efforts of hundreds of students and postdocs and many colleagues, who have significantly contributed to our scientific projects.”

Mirkin is the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry and a professor of medicine (hematology and oncology), materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering, and chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern, where he has appointments in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Northwestern Engineering. He also is the director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology.

“We are excited to congratulate Professor Mirkin on this very prestigious award, indeed the highest honor from ACS, that recognizes his immense contributions to the field of chemistry,” said Mung Chiang, president of Northwestern. “This latest award further underscores the power of Northwestern scientists to advance the frontiers of human knowledge through research of the highest caliber.”

Mirkin is only the third professor at Northwestern to receive this top honor. Tobin J. Marks received the Priestley Medal in 2017, and the late Fred Basolo received it in 2001. Including the three most recent recipients, 24 Priestley Medal laureates have won a Nobel Prize.

The award specifically recognizes Mirkin “for pioneering contributions to nanochemistry and for impacting the chemistry profession globally through innovations in education, service, and policy at the highest levels, and entrepreneurship.” He will officially receive the award at the society’s Spring 2027 meeting in New Orleans.

In addition to his fundamental discoveries in chemistry, Mirkin has invented transformative manufacturing technologies, including molecular printing tools like dip-pen nanolithography, advanced nanofabrication methods, and the world's highest throughput 3D printing tools that are now widely used across research and industry alike. Mirkin also developed and pioneered high-throughput materials discovery platforms, including nanomaterial megalibraries, that help researchers rapidly identify promising new materials and accelerate innovation. His work in chemistry has reshaped interdisciplinary areas ranging from materials science and catalysis to biology and medicine, with applications spanning healthcare, advanced manufacturing, electronics, and clean energy.

“Professor Mirkin has transformed the landscape of nanostructured materials, redefining how chemists design, build, and deploy them across diverse scientific and technological domains,” said Joseph S. Francisco, a former ACS president and chemistry professor at University of Pennsylvania. “I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.”

Across more than three decades, Mirkin’s contributions have extended beyond the laboratory. He has played a leading role in science policy and education, including eight years on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, where he helped shape national strategies and policies aimed at improving STEM education and innovation. He also has been an influential global ambassador for chemistry, advancing international collaboration and interdisciplinary research by establishing centers and institutes in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

A prolific scholar and innovator, Mirkin has authored more than 940 publications, holds more than 1,470 patent applications worldwide, and has received more than 250 honors, awards and prizes. He also founded 11 companies to commercialize technologies developed in his laboratory, helping to translate fundamental discoveries into more than 2,000 commercial products that benefit society.

Mirkin’s impact as a mentor and educator is similarly far-reaching. More than 170 of his former students hold faculty positions around the world, and 200 more have become leaders in industry and government.

The Priestley Medal, established in 1922, is awarded annually by ACS to recognize distinguished service to chemistry.