Raghuraman Kannan, PhD, named 2025 NAI Fellow

By Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu

Two professors at the University of Missouri are joining the ranks of the most prestigious academic inventors in the country. Curators’ Distinguished Professor Raghuraman Kannan and Professor Henry Nguyen have been elected National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows.

NAI Fellows are elected for creating or facilitating inventions that have had a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society. Together, the members of the 2025 class hold more than 5,300 U.S. patents and represent 127 universities, government agencies and research institutions across 40 states.

Kannan is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor and the Michael J. and Sharon R. Bukstein Chair in Cancer Research. He has joint appointments at Mizzou’s School of Medicine and Mizzou’s College of Engineering. He is also an associate director of the Immuno-oncology and Therapeutics Program at MU Health Care’s Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

Kannan has developed a library of nanoparticle-based drug delivery vehicles that target tumors without damaging healthy tissue. Using this innovation, he is working to develop treatments for lung, ovarian, breast, pancreatic and liver cancers. He has a total of 65 patents issued, 12 of them active in the U.S.

“Being named an NAI Fellow is a profound honor,” he said. “This recognition belongs as much to my colleagues, collaborators and students as it does to me. I am deeply grateful to the School of Medicine, College of Engineering and the University of Missouri for providing an environment where innovation is encouraged and discoveries can be translated into real-world impact.”

This story originally appeared on ShowMeMizzou.com on Thursday, December 11, 2025.