Dr. William Shih

Professor

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Biography

William Shih is a Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Cancer Biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a founding core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Shih holds an A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Stanford. His research explores the design principles of self-assembling molecular machines, primarily using structural DNA nanotechnology. Shih's key projects include developing DNA-based architectures through a novel tiling strategy that combines scaffold-dependence and size control in nanoconstructions. Additionally, he works on single-molecule analysis tools aimed at overcoming challenges in molecular identification and characterizing protein structures on a single-cell level. His work on DNA nanostructures also targets diagnostic and therapeutic applications, particularly in enhancing cancer vaccines through precise geometric control of molecular arrangements.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

— Present

Harvard Medical School • Boston, MA

Teaching and conducting research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

Founding Core Faculty Member

— Present

Wyss Institute • Boston, MA

Contributing to research in Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Awards

#

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

#

Blavatnik National Award Finalist

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Foresight Prize Award

#

Rozenberg Tulip Award

Requirements for Harvard Medical School

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree Undergraduate preparation in the sciences Biology Chemistry Physics
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Application fee ($105)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS). GRE is not required and will not be considered for BBS, Immunology, and Neuroscience.