Ulrich B. Wiesner

Ulrich B. Wiesner is the Spencer T. Olin Professor of Engineering at Cornell University since 2008, with a career spanning over two decades in polymer-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials. His work bridges materials science, chemistry, and biomedical engineering, focusing on block copolymer self-assembly for multifunctional materials.

• Education: Diploma in Chemistry (University of Mainz, 1988), Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry (University of Mainz & MPI-P, 1991)

Research Interests center on combining soft polymeric materials with inorganic/solid-state chemistry to create hierarchical hybrid materials. Key areas include:

• Energy conversion and storage via mesoporous oxides/non-oxides
• Clean water technologies through advanced materials
• Nanomedicine applications in cancer therapy and bioimaging
• Development of C-dots: ultrasmall fluorescent silica nanoparticles
• Structure-directing agents from dendron architectures

His article trends reveal a focus on asymmetric porous structures (2024-2025), 3D-printed quantum materials (2024), and biomedical applications of C-dots for super-resolution microscopy and targeted drug delivery (2023-2025).

Scientific Awards include:

• National Academy of Inventors Fellow (2024)
• "Ambassadeur pour la Chimie Française" (2019)
• Arthur K. Doolittle Award (2016)
• ACS PMSE Fellow (2015)
• NSF Creativity Award (2008)
• Cornell Teaching Excellence Award (2005)
• IBM Faculty Partnership Award (2001)
• Carl Duisberg Memorial Award (1999)

As co-director of the MSKCC-Cornell Center for Translation of Cancer Nanomedicine (2015-present), he leads interdisciplinary teams developing clinical nanoparticle probes. His work has produced >250 peer-reviewed publications and numerous patents, with recent breakthroughs in antibody fragment-nanoparticle therapeutics for gastric cancer eradication.