Nathan Gianneschi

About Nathan Gianneschi

Nathan Gianneschi, Ph.D, is the Jacob & Rosaline Cohn Professor of Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Pharmacology at Northwestern University. Research in his laboratory spans foundational materials and polymer science to translational biomedical materials, including biomaterials inspired by functional structures found in nature.The Gianneschi Group is an interdisciplinary team of chemists, engineers, materials scientists, and chemical biologists conducting both fundamental and translational research on biomaterials, polymers, nanomaterials, biomimicry, therapeutics, diagnostics, and novel functional materials. Their work has led to advancements in cancer treatment, including first-in-class probes and potential therapeutics targeting “undruggable” disordered transcription factors, as well as innovative immunotherapy approaches.This research has resulted in multiple patents, which have been licensed to startups pursuing clinical applications—including Grove Biopharma Inc, a preclinical biotech startup based in Chicago, Illinois, where Gianneschi is co-founder. Grove is developing the Bionic Biologics platform, a breakthrough synthetic modality that targets intracellular protein-protein interactions to design improved treatments for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare disorders.In recognition of these contributions, Professor Gianneschi has received numerous honors, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the NIH Transformative Research Award, and a PECASE from the Department of Defense—the White House’s highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers.His most recent endeavor is Melanyze, a Northwestern University spin-out and early-stage biotech startup focused on developing synthetic melanin-based nanoparticles for skin regeneration, repair, and the treatment of complex inflammatory skin conditions. Melanyze is pioneering a new class of therapeutics aimed at addressing critical unmet needs in dermatology and supportive oncology. The work in this area has been published in leading journals such as Nature npj Regenerative Medicine and The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and has been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, Popular Science, and other prominent media outlets.

Experience

1. Co-founder

   Grove Biopharma

   Mar 2020 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

Education

• University of Adelaide

  B.Sc (Hons), Chemistry/Biochemistry

  1995 — 1999

• Northwestern University

  PhD, Chemistry

  1999 — 2005