Chad Mirkin Receives the 2027 Priestley Medal

Professor Chad A. Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University, has been named the recipient of the 2027 Priestley Medal from the American Chemical Society (ACS), the highest honor bestowed by the world’s largest scientific society. Mirkin is recognized for his landmark contributions to nanochemistry, including his discovery and development of spherical nucleic acids and his work in colloidal crystal engineering with DNA, research that has reshaped how chemists design, synthesize, and apply nanoscale materials.

Mirkin is only the third Northwestern faculty member to receive the Priestley Medal, following the late Fred Basolo in 2001 and Tobin J. Marks in 2017. He will officially receive the award at ACS’s Spring 2027 meeting in New Orleans.

“This latest award further underscores the power of Northwestern scientists to advance the frontiers of human knowledge through research of the highest caliber,” said Mung Chiang, president of Northwestern.

Read the full announcement on Northwestern Now (LINK) and the American Chemical Society (LINK).