Recently, the UM System announced the winners of its 2019 President’s Awards, which are given by President Mun Choi in recognition of faculty who have done exceptional work to advance the mission of the System. Mizzou Associate Professor of Biomedical, Biological & Chemical Engineering Raghuraman Kannan was one of 12 awardees, earning the President’s Award for Economic Development.

Here’s what the UM System had to say about his accomplishments:

“Professor Kannan’s nanoparticle technology research at MU is motivated by the possibility of developing clinical solutions for diseases that cause widespread suffering. His passion and persistence drive the discovery of new technologies into commercial development, with the goal of improving lives and creating economic benefits for Missouri. Dr. Kannan recently founded Oncogen, a startup company aiming to commercialize new types of cancer therapy. Earlier this year, Oncogen licensed one of Dr. Kannan’s patents from MU, which involves a therapy that delivers a ‘micro dose’ of cancer therapy directly to cancerous cells. This therapy approach effectively targets cancerous cells while decreasing the negative side effects of more typical therapies. Oncogen has also collaborated with a major pharmaceutical company that is contracting with MU to perform $5 million of sponsored research in Dr. Kannan’s lab. Dr. Kannan’s innovative and productive research is an inspiration to his faculty colleagues and anticipated to improve healthcare around the globe.”