Matthew Tirrell elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Matthew Tirrell, D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for pioneering the design and synthesis of self-assembling polymers to deliver peptide, protein, and nucleotide drugs in cardiovascular disease, cancer, infection, and vaccination.

Election to the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. Academy membership recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service, and who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.

With this election, Tirrell becomes a member of all three National Academies, a distinction held by fewer than 30 people in history. Tirrell was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2019.

“Matt has long shown that a deep understanding of how molecules organize themselves can be turned into real solutions for patients,” said Stuart Rowan, interim dean of UChicago PME. “This honor reflects the remarkable reach of his science, from fundamental polymer physics to medicine.”

This honor reflects the remarkable reach of his science, from fundamental polymer physics to medicine.

Stuart Rowan, interim dean of UChicago PME

In its citation, the Academy noted that Tirrell developed the fundamentals of self-assembly and skillfully applied them to solve key problems in medicine through delivery targeted at the subcellular, cellular, and tissue levels. His research combines precise measurements of intermolecular forces with the creation of new structures, yielding insight into polymer surface phenomena such as adhesion, friction, and biocompatibility, and producing new materials based on the self-assembly of synthetic and bioinspired molecules. Some of his recent work includes polyelectrolyte complex micelles and other biomedical nanoparticles designed to carry therapeutic cargo to specific targets.

Tirrell led the University's molecular engineering program from its inception in 2011, first as founding Pritzker Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering and, after it became the nation's first school dedicated to the field, as founding dean of UChicago PME from 2019 through 2023.

Among his other many honors include the Polymer Physics Prize of the American Physical Society and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.