Thomas J. Meade Bioinorganic coordination chemistry, biological molecular imaging, transcription factor inhibitors, electronic biosensors

Research Interests

At Northwestern University, I lead a multidisciplinary research program at the intersection of chemistry, molecular imaging, and translational medicine. As the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Cancer Research and Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, I hold appointments in Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Neurobiology, and Radiology, and am the faculty director of The Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging (CAMI). The lab is divided into three sub-groups that focus on molecular imaging probes, electronic biosensors for proteins, and inhibitors of transcription factors. We are particularly interested in using coordination chemistry to create contrast agents that respond to enzymatic activity, redox status, gene expression, and other cellular signals. These imaging tools provide dynamic, noninvasive readouts of molecular events in vivo, enabling earlier detection, real-time monitoring, and more precise characterization of disease.

We maintain close collaborations with clinical and basic science investigators to translate new imaging strategies into meaningful diagnostic and therapeutic applications, especially in cancer and neuroscience. Beyond developing new probes, we are focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern probe distribution, uptake, and activation in biological environments. Our goal is to push the boundaries of molecular imaging to better understand disease at its earliest stages and to develop new tools for personalized medicine.

Selected Publications

 

Gli pathway-targeted Co(III) Schiff base complexes inhibit migration of basal cell carcinoma cells. Bond CE, Olson KD, Punar M, Friedman LB, Tang JH, Luo M, Bailey MD, Holmgren RA, Meade TJ. RSC Advances, 2025, 15, 8572-8579.

1H Parashift Probes for Ratiometric Detection of Nitroreductase. Kaster MA, Caldwell MA, Roach CM, Bailey MD, Meade TJ. ACS Inorganic Chemistry, 2025

Gadolinium Conjugated Lipoic-Acid Hydrogels for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Brotherton AR, Phillips-Sorich B, DomNwachukwu N, Bailey MD, Patel AS, Parigi G, Luchinat C, Meade TJ. ACS Applied Bio Materials, 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.5c00584.

Ultra-high resolution magnetic resonance microscopy of in situ gadolinium gold nanoparticles labeled cells in the rat brain. Kisel A, Luo M, Bailey MD, Ghuman Hm Rotz M, Campos V, Vieira M, Hitchens KT, Meade TJ, Modo M. Chemical Science, 2025, DOI:10.1039/d5sc01588j.

MRI detection of senescent cells in porcine knee joints with a β-galactosidase responsive Gd-chelate. Nernekli K, Mangarova DB, Daldrup-Link HE, Meade TJ. npj Imaging, 2025, 3, 18.

Alkaline Phosphatase-Targeted, Gadolinium-Labeled Nanoparticles for Enhanced Multimodal Imaging of Liver Cancer. Luo M, Bailey MD, Hyun K, Lei Y, Meade TJ. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2025, 17, 19, 28000–28011.

Disulfide Incorporated Pyridine and Pyridinium Push-Pull Dyes for Optical Sensing and Antifouling Electrodes. Brotherton AR, DomNwachukwu N, Bailey MD, Rivnay J, Meade TJ. Langmuir, 2025, 41, 12, 8144–8151.

MR Imaging Reveals Dynamic Aggregation of Multivalent Glycoconjugates in Aqueous Solution. Tang J-H, Luo M, Tsao W, Waters EA, Parigi G, Luchinat C, Meade TJ. Inorganic Chemistry, 2024, 63, 24662-24671.

Synthesis and Relaxivity of Gadolinium-Based DOTAGA Conjugated 3-Phosphoglycerate. Brotherton AR, Mohamed SN, Meade TJ. Dalton Transactions, 2024, 53, 17777 – 17782.

HaloTag-Modified, Ferrocene Labeled Self-Assembled Monolayers for Protein Sensing. Brotherton AR, Neupane GP, Ji X, Sullivan K, Bailey MD, Berns EJ, Rivnay J, Mrksich M, Meade TJ. Langmuir, 2024, 40, 22856-22864.

HaloTag display enables quantitative single-particle characterisation and functionalisation of engineered extracellular vesicles. Mitrut RE, Stranford DM, DiBiase BN, Chan JM, Bailey MD, Luo M, Harper CS, Meade TJ, Wang M, Leonard JN. J Extracell Vesicles. 2024 Jul; 13(7): e12469-.

Development of Ln(III) Derivatives as 19F Parashift Probes. Kaster MA, Caldwell MA, and Meade TJ. Inorg. Chem. 2024 May 15; 63(21):9877-9887.

Musculoskeletal imaging of senescence. Daldrup-Link HE, Suryadevara V, Tanyildizi Y, Nernekli K, Tang JH, and Meade TJ. Skeletal Radiology. 2024 February 8;Published online.

Molecular Engineering of Self-Immolative Bioresponsive MR Probes. Tang JH, Li H, Yuan C, Parigi G, Luchinat C, and Meade TJ. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023 April 28;145(18):10045-10050.

Engineered Nonviral Protein Cages Modified for MR Imaging. Kaster MA, Levasseur MD, Edwardson TGW, Caldwell MA, Hoffmann D, Licciardi G, Giacomo P, Luchinat C, Hilvert D, and Meade TJ. ACS Appl. Bio. Mater. 2023 January 10;6(2):591-602.  

View all publications by Thomas J. Meade listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed). Current and former IBiS students in blue.