Marcin Iwanicki

Marcin Iwanicki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the Stevens Institute of Technology, affiliated with the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science. His research focuses on ovarian cancer metastasis, combining tissue engineering, live-cell microscopy, and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to study cell-ECM interactions and tumor progression. He also leads an interdisciplinary research group and serves on multiple institutional and national committees, including the National Cancer Institute study sections.

Education

• PhD (2008), University of Virginia (Microbiology/Cancer Biology and Immunology)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (2008–2017), Harvard Medical School (Ovarian Cancer Metastasis)

Research Interests

Dr. Iwanicki investigates how cancer cells interact with extracellular matrices (ECM), amino acid osmolytes, and perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS). His lab explores mechanisms of cancer dissemination, including tumor-ECM dynamics, drug resistance, and metabolic reprogramming. Key projects include developing organoid-on-chip models for early cancer detection and studying taurine's tumor suppressive effects in ovarian cancer.

Awards

• 2001-2006 Ruth Kirschstein Award (NCI)
• 2015 Ovarian Cancer Action HHMT Fellowship
• 2015 Marsha Rivkin Center Scholar-in-Training Award

Grants & Service

He leads grants from the NCI/NIH, Kaleidoscope of Hope, and industry partnerships. His service roles include peer review for Cancer Research, Cancers, and NIH/NCI panels. He also chairs the Stevens Facility for Animal Research Committee and advises pre-med students through clinical collaborations at Jersey City Medical Center.

Labs & Teams

The Iwanicki Lab at Stevens focuses on translational cancer research, integrating engineering tools with cell biology. The team includes high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students, with a mission to reduce ovarian cancer mortality through mechanistic insights and novel therapies.