Robert Langer’s pioneering research has resulted in new drug delivery systems, new vaccines, and tissue engineering in regenerative medicine; innovations that have impacted the lives of hundreds of millions.
“I guess I’ve always seen my purpose is to help people. And I’ve got a lot of satisfaction from that…”
Growing up in Albany, New York, Langer worked incredibly hard at school. Though he found reading particularly challenging, he persevered and went on to study chemical engineering at Cornell University. But despite what some may assume this wasn’t a clear path he always knew he wanted to follow. When the pressure mounted to choose a major, he admitted he simply kept eliminating the subjects involving the things he wasn’t particularly good at. So chemical engineering it was.
Having graduated from Cornell and later MIT, Langer didn’t follow the path of his friends to high-paying jobs he had multiple offers for. No, what mattered most to him was using what he’d learnt to do something that would have a positive impact on other people’s lives. Langer stepped away from the norm and carved his own path, eventually being hired by a surgeon in Boston who took a chance on him and the alternative way he approached clinical problems.
Langer asked questions, challenged thinking, and faced obstacles head on. He wasn’t afraid to fail and failed a lot. This approach led him to huge leaps in the field of medicine. New treatments for brain cancer and other diseases. New drug delivery systems playing a role in medicines, including in the COVID-19 vaccine. Langer always followed his passion and encourages others to do the same.
Throughout his career he has remained committed to translating scientific discoveries into real-world applications. He has co-founded 40 companies to date, and on top of that won over 220 major awards and received honorary doctorates from over 30 top universities.
Awards and honours are one thing, but for Langer the joy comes from knowing the positive impact he has made. Acknowledging that with hard work, perseverance, and determination he truly made a difference.
