Johns Hopkins Student Awarded Siebel Scholarship

PhD student Manav Jain received the prestigious award for his work on mRNA lipid nanoparticles for T cell therapy.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Biotech

Microscopic macro view of spherical lipid nanoparticles suspended in a clear fluid. — Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering PhD student Manav Jain was awarded a 2026 Siebel Scholarship for his development of a novel lipid nanoparticle system for T cell therapy. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Johns Hopkins University biomedical engineering student Manav Jain has been named a 2026 Siebel Scholar. Jain received the recognition for developing a novel lipid nanoparticle system that enables direct, non-viral T cell editing.

Why it matters

Jain's research offers a more efficient alternative to traditional T cell therapy methods that currently require expensive ex vivo blood processing. By allowing for multiple doses of therapy, the system aims to improve safety and accessibility for patients undergoing CAR-based treatments.

The Siebel Scholar award provides a $35,000 stipend for the final year of graduate study. Jain developed lipid nanoparticles that require storage at -80°C and utilize surface-conjugated antibodies to facilitate T cell internalization.

The players

Manav Jain

He is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Johns Hopkins University

This is a private research university in Baltimore that consistently ranks among the top institutions for biomedical research.

Siebel Scholars

This program selects 90 graduate students annually from the top business, bioengineering, and computer science programs to receive financial support.

The details

The nanoparticle system delivers mRNA to T cells, which then dissolve internally to release CAR-encoding instructions. Unlike traditional viral vectors that limit patients to a single dose, this method allows for multiple doses and supports the transient expression of CAR, which helps preserve healthy B cells following treatment.

Manav Jain was named a 2026 Siebel Scholar.
The award was announced on October 6, 2026.

Deeper Dive

This innovation follows the development of CAR T cell therapy and marks a departure from traditional reliance on viral vectors for gene delivery. By shifting toward mRNA nanoparticle systems, the research aims to bypass complex ex vivo processing requirements common in current clinical protocols.

This research could eventually lower the costs and complexity associated with advanced cancer treatments by eliminating the need for individualized, hospital-based ex vivo cell manipulation. Future developments in these nanoparticles may enable more patients to access personalized gene therapies outside of highly specialized clinical settings.

The takeaway

Jain plans to continue his career in academia as a professor to further investigate mRNA delivery systems. His work highlights the transition toward more scalable, non-invasive therapeutic platforms in modern medicine.