2025 iCON Innovator Award Winner: Brad Merrill, PhD
Introduction
The iCON Innovator Award, recognizing an active researcher/scientist within life sciences education who is acknowledged by peers as a leader in biotechnology teaching and scholarship, will be presented to Brad Merrill, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Dr. Merrill specializes in stem cell biology and CRISPR-based synthetic biology tools. He co-founded Syntax Bio with former PhD student Ryan Clarke to develop a modified CRISPR platform for generating therapeutic cells from stem cells. The company has raised $15 million, demonstrating the powerful intersection of academic excellence and commercial innovation.