Eric Steven Lander

Eric Steven Lander is a leading American mathematician and geneticist who serves as Professor of Biology at MIT and Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. He is the Founding Director Emeritus of the Broad Institute, the interdisciplinary genomics center he established in 2003.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Princeton University (1978, valedictorian)
• Rhodes Scholar, Wolfson College, Oxford
• D.Phil. in Mathematics (algebraic coding theory), University of Oxford (1980)

Research Interests

Lander’s work bridges mathematics, genomics, and medicine. His early career focused on algebraic coding theory before transitioning to genetics, where he pioneered methods for mapping complex traits in humans. Over three decades he has advanced:

• large-scale human genetic variation studies
• genome evolution and population history
• non-coding RNA biology
• three-dimensional chromatin architecture
• CRISPR-based functional genomics and cancer gene discovery

Scientific Awards & Honors

• MacArthur Fellowship (1987)
• Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2013)
• Gairdner Award (2002)
• Harvey Prize (2012)
• William Allan Award (2018)
• Dan David Prize (2012)
• Golden Plate Award – American Academy of Achievement (1999)
• Member, US National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine

Leadership & Advising

Lander has mentored numerous doctoral students who now lead their own research groups. He founded and directed the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research, spearheaded the public Human Genome Project, and co-chaired President Obama’s PCAST. In 2021 he became the first Cabinet-level Science Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Biden, resigning in 2022 and returning to MIT, Harvard, and the Broad Institute.

Labs & Teams

Lander’s research group is housed within the Broad Institute, where he continues to lead interdisciplinary teams focused on cancer genomics, functional genomics, and systems biology. He also launched the non-profit “Science for America” in 2023 to pursue ambitious scientific “moonshots.”