Shana O. Kelley

Dr. Shana Kelley is the Neena B. Schwartz Professor at Northwestern University in the Departments of Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, and Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and at the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the Simpson Querrey Institute, and the Lurie Cancer Cancer. Kelley is also the President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago.

The Kelley research group uses a highly multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering to develop novel solutions for biomedicine and biological research. A variety of nanoscience-enabled projects are underway that focus on the discovery of new therapeutic targets and agents as well as new technologies for the molecular-level diagnosis of disease.

Using a new platform that relies on nanoparticle-based stratification of complex cell libraries, the Kelley group is discovering druggable targets relevant to the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease, and other chronic conditions. This same technology is being utilized to develop next-generation cell therapies that can be precisely engineered to provide maximal benefit to patients.

Kelley’s work has been recognized with the ACS Inorganic Nanoscience Award, the ACS Arthur Doolittle Award, the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, the Steacie Prize, an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar award, a NSF CAREER Award, a Dreyfus New Faculty Award, and she was also named a “Top 100 Innovator” by MIT’s Technology Review.

Kelley is an inventor on over 50 patents issued worldwide and a successful entrepreneur who has founded four molecular diagnostics companies.