Dr Robert Langer: The Most Cited Engineer in History

Danielle Newnham Podcast

Today’s guests is Dr Robert Langer – a chemical engineer, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor and the most cited engineer in history - specializing in the biotechnology fields of drug delivery systems and tissue engineering. He is also the co-founder of Moderna a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines which was used globally for Covid-19.

Bob Langer has received over 200 major awards– one of just four individuals to have received both the United States National Medal of Science and the United States National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He also received the 2002 Charles Stark Draper Prize, considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for engineers, and the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, among many others

In this conversation, we discuss how he fell in love with science, what discoveries led to his pioneering work in tissue engineering and drug delivery, and what it takes to positively impact billions of lives. We also touch on anti-vaxxers, what it’s like for scientists when misinformation rules social media and how rejection is par for the course for a scientist.

I honestly think this is one of the most important conversations I have had on this podcast so please do enjoy.

Bob Langer at MIT

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