CHICAGO, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Northwestern University (NU) professor Chad A. Mirkin has received the Friendship Award, China's highest recognition for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the nation," in Beijing, according to a report published on the university's website Monday.

"As academic science is a form of diplomacy that brings people together from all different parts of the world to pursue knowledge in pre-competitive areas, it is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition from China," Mirkin said.

Earlier this year, Mirkin received the Nano Research Award, along with Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor Lei Jiang, at the Sino-US Nano Forum in Chengdu, China, according to the report.

Mirkin, a professor of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the director of the International Institute for Nanotechnologyat Northwestern, is most known for his discovery and development of spherical nucleic acids, and the many medical diagnostic, therapeutic and materials applications that have derived from them. He is the author of more than 700 manuscripts and more than 1,000 patent applications worldwide.

For decades, he has developed nanotechnology solutions for a broad range of applications with his work leading to more than 2,000 commercial products used globally, the report said.

Mirkin has trained more than 60 Chinese students at Northwestern, including graduate students, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral students and fellows. He has given hundreds of seminars at universities and professional meetings in China, and holds 11 Chinese patents, according to the report.

NU President Morton Schapiro congratulated Mirkin on receiving this tremendous honor and lauded him for his remarkable achievements and his unwavering commitment to global, collaborative scientific discovery.