Santiago Correa

Santiago Correa

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Santiago Correa’s research operates at the interface of materials science, nanotechnology, and immunology to engineer the immune system and improve human health.

Dr. Correa develops biomaterials composed of nano-scale building blocks, which are used to reprogram the body’s immune system to fight cancer, autoimmune disease, and infection.

Taking inspiration from nature, Dr. Correa engineers this next-generation technology via supramolecular self-assembly across length scales – first by constructing bioinspired multifunctional nanoparticles that, in turn, self-assemble to produce macroscopic biomaterials imbued with unprecedented immuno-modulatory capabilities.

Dr. Correa obtained his BS in Biomedical Engineering at Yale prior to completing a PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT. While in the Hammond Lab at MIT, he explored how nanoparticle surface chemistry could be engineered to better target ovarian cancer and to fabricate multifunctional nanomaterials. Afterwards, Dr. Correa completed his postdoctoral training as an NCI F32 Fellow in the Appel Lab at Stanford, where he developed immunomodulatory biomaterials to treat cancer.

Research Areas

  • Biomaterials
  • Cell & Tissue Engineering
  • Drug Delivery
  • Immunoengineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nanomedicine
  • Gene Delivery
  • Biomimetic Materials
  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Immune Modulation
  • Cancer Therapy
  • Autoimmune Therapy
  • Neuroimmunotherapy
  • Biomaterials
  • Cell-Material Interfaces
  • Organ-on-a-Chip

Additional Information

  • Honors & Awards
    • Herbert Irving Cancer Center Emerging Leader Development Program, 2023
    • Cell Press: Matter Feature, 35+1 under 35 in Materials Science, 2023
    • Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Champion, Stanford University, 2022
    • Rising Stars in Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2021
    • Soft Matter for All Early Career Speaker, Princeton University & University of Delaware, 2021
    • UNITE Featured Speaker, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2021
    • PMSE Future Faculty Scholar, American Chemical Society, 2021
    • Rising Stars in Engineering in Health, Columbia University, 2020
    • Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32), National Cancer Institute 2019
    • Siebel Scholar, Siebel Foundation, 2018
    • Sloan University Centers for Exemplary Mentoring Scholar, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 2016
    • Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, 2012
    • Lemelson Engineering Presidential Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
    • Dean’s Diversity Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
    • Science, Technology and Research Scholar, Yale University, 2012
  • Professional Experience
    • Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 2023-
  • Education
    • PhD, Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • BS, Biomedical Engineering, Yale University
  • Professional Affiliations
    • Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
    • Society for Biomaterials
    • Biomedical Engineering Society
    • American Chemical Society, Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering
    • LatinXinBME