Kirill Afonin

Dr. Kirill Afonin is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research specializes in RNA nanobiology, drug delivery, and the development of functional nucleic acid nanoparticles for therapeutic applications. He directs a comprehensive research program with state-of-the-art facilities including wet labs, computational spaces, and BSL-2 cell culture rooms.

Research Interests:

• RNA nanodesign for programmable nanostructures
• Immunological properties of nanoparticles
• Targeted therapeutic delivery systems
• Biosensing and diagnostic applications
• Dynamic nanostructures for cellular communication

Publications focus on advancing nucleic acid nanotechnology for biomedical applications, with recent work emphasizing immunomodulation, nanostructure characterization, and therapeutic delivery systems. Articles demonstrate consistent innovation in RNA nanoparticle design for cancer theranostics, antiviral strategies, and controlled immune activation.

Awards & Honors:

• NIH MIRA R35 Award (2021)
• Sigma Xi Membership (2018)
• Wells Fargo Faculty Awards (2015)
• NIH FARE Awards (2013-2014)

Research Funding:

• Multiple NIH R01 and R15 grants
• NSF collaborative awards
• University seed funding
• International partnerships

The Afonin Lab supports interdisciplinary research with specialized facilities for nanomaterial synthesis, characterization, and cellular analysis.