Chicago Immunoengineering Innovation Center

Researchers of the CIIC focus on answering challenging questions in immunology by developing and implementing new technologies, and also translating fundamental discoveries towards capabilities to manipulate, stimulate, and eventually control the immune system to address many conditions ranging from cancer and infections to allergies and auto-immune diseases.

Specifically, they are innovating the next generation of diagnostics and therapies that will directly impact human health: vaccines against cancer, nanomaterials that restore immunological balance, interventions that reduce the severity of allergies and autoimmune disorders, new diagnostics that predict which treatments will be most effective, and therapeutics that kill diseased cells with less collateral damage.

As of 2020, they have spun off four startup companies based off this work. The CIIC involves a world-class team of researchers, clinicians, and engineers supported by data science experts, access to a world-class medical center, core laboratory facilities, and established technology transfer pipelines to translate scientific discoveries into new treatments and ventures. Co-directors Profs. Jeffrey Hubbell & Melody Swartz founded the CIIC as a realization of their vision to unite all of these key ingredients of immunoengineering innovation under one framework, effectively changing the calculus for research and development of the immune system in order to improve human health.