Advance the biosciences

University Priority

Enhancing Quality of Life

Innovation in the biosciences is essential to helping us live longer and healthier lives.

Northwestern scientists and researchers deliver cutting-edge treatments and cures through their pathbreaking work in synthetic biology, chemistry, cancer research, public health and more.

With collaboration across schools, campuses and partners such as Northwestern Medicine, a significant percentage of the University’s research enterprise is dedicated to the biosciences. This page provides a snapshot of the transformative work taking place at Northwestern.

Center for Synthetic Biology

Northwestern scientists have been blazing new trails in synthetic biology — an innovative marriage of engineering, physics and biological systems — for nearly two decades. Attracting world-class faculty and a growing NIH funding, CSB was established as a nexus of this emerging field that is poised to transform medicine, energy and more.

Querry Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics

QSIB combines engineering, life sciences and medicine to create biocompatible electronics, photonics and microfluidics that merge seamlessly with the human body. QSIB's bioelectronic platforms attach to — or even integrate within — vital organs, unlocking unprecedented diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical possibilities. From advancing clinical care and biomedical research to enhancing athletic performance, fitness and overall wellness, QSIB’s innovations redefine what’s possible for human health and beyond.

International Institute for Nanotechnology

Imagine therapies so precise they destroy cancer cells without harming healthy tissue, nanoscale materials that rebuild bone and restore spinal cord function, and “nanosponges” that cleanse oil spills and polluted water without endangering marine life. IIN is turning these possibilities into reality. From revolutionizing energy and the environment to redefining health care, this work in nanotechnology is opening doors to solutions once thought impossible.

Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center

Lurie Cancer Center is one of only 57 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and a Lead Academic Participating Site in the National Clinical Trials Network. Its strengths include a hematopoietic stem cell transplant program that performs 350+ transplants annually, Illinois’s first and only proton therapy center and OncoSET, a pioneering precision-medicine program.

Meet Some of Our Experts

Northwestern’s researchers make breakthroughs that advance healthcare for everyone.

With an emphasis on translational medicine, our physician-scientists and engineers are at the forefront of research and discovery.

Guillermo Ameer

Ameer develops biomaterials and nanotechnology for regenerative engineering, tissue engineering, medical devices, drug delivery and cell delivery applications.

Jonathan Rivnay

Rivnay engineers organic and biohybrid bioelectronic materials, devices and systems for interfacing between the complex world of biology and traditional optoelectronics.

Elizabeth McNally

McNally researches genetics of cardiovascular and neuromuscular disorders and studies genetic mechanisms responsible for inherited human diseases.

Highlights

Learn about Northwestern’s leadership in the biosciences.

Slowing the Aging Process

The Potocsnak Longevity Institute has launched the Human Longevity Laboratory, a longitudinal, cross-sectional study that investigates the relationship between chronological age and biological age and validates interventions that may reverse or slow down the processes of aging.

Understanding the Human Brain

The Feinberg Neuroscience Institute works to understand a broad spectrum of neurological and psychiatric conditions, bringing together expertise in neuroscience, genetics, AI, implementation science and more to translate novel scientific discoveries into new and more effective treatments.

Pioneering Bioelectronics for Obesity and Diabetes

Northwestern researchers Jonathan Rivnay and Josh Leonard are developing a minimally invasive bioelectronic implant for obesity and Type 2 diabetes to deliver therapy on demand, eliminating the need for regular injections and making treatment more accessible.