Eric Lander - founding director

Eric Lander is founding director and a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. A geneticist, molecular biologist, and mathematician, he has played a pioneering role in all aspects of the reading, understanding, and biomedical application of the human genome. He was a principal leader of the international Human Genome Project. 

Eric S. Lander, Broad Institute Director

As founding director, Lander plays a leading role in shaping the conception, development, distillation, and execution of Broad’s scientific directions to drive the Broad community’s shared impact. He also serves as a key mentor and strategist to Broad’s scientific community and administrative leadership, especially around issues of major strategic and scientific importance.

A widely-recognized scientific visionary, Lander has developed powerful methods for discovering the molecular basis of human diseases. 

From 2009 to 2017, he served as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology for President Barack Obama. From 2021 to 2022, he took a leave of absence to serve as President Biden’s Science Advisor and a member of his cabinet, as well as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In 2022, Lander launched Science for America, a solutions incubator focused on addressing urgent challenges including the climate and energy crisis, medicine and public health, and STEM equity and education.

This page offers links to key scientific publications; courseware, which is freely available through MIT edX; public policy; op-eds; perspectives; and to selected news items and interviews.
 

Science

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Teaching

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Public Policy

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Op-eds

Perspectives

Public talks

In the News

Interviews

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