Charles Lieber

Charles M. Lieber is an American chemist and one of the world's foremost nanoscience pioneers who rebuilt his research laboratory in China after being convicted in the United States in December 2021 of lying to federal authorities about payments received through a Chinese-run talent recruitment program while he chaired Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. He had joined Harvard in 1991 and became the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor, Harvard's highest faculty honor, before quietly retiring from the university in February 2023.

Lieber earned his BS in chemistry from Franklin & Marshall College in 1981 and his PhD from Stanford University in 1985, followed by postdoctoral research at Caltech. He taught at Columbia University from 1987 before moving to Harvard in 1991. Regarded as one of the most influential chemists of the 2000s, he pioneered the synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials and nanoelectronic devices, and trained numerous scientists who became leaders in the field, including Hongjie Dai, Peidong Yang, and Yi Cui. His original prosecution centered on an undisclosed research relationship with Wuhan University of Technology.

Lieber was sentenced to six months of house arrest and fined $50,000, but avoided prison. He has since rebuilt his career in China, and as of 2026 oversees i-BRAIN (the Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies), an arm of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) pursuing brain-computer interface technology — a field China has named a national growth priority, with potential applications in treating ALS and restoring movement in paralyzed patients. He remains a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Charles M. Lieber is a leading scientist in nanoscience and chemistry. He holds a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College (1981) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1985). Following postdoctoral research at Caltech (1985-1987), he held faculty positions at Columbia University (1987-1991) and Harvard University (1991-2023), where he served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (2015-2020) and was named a University Professor (2017). He is currently a Professor within the Institute of Materials Research in Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.

Professor Charles M. Lieber is a member of the US National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Arts & Sciences, and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His numerous awards include the Wolf Prize, Welch Award, Willard Gibbs Medal, and the Friendship Award (China). Thomson Reuters ranked him the top chemist worldwide for 2000-2010 based on citation impact. In 2017, he was named a University Professor by Harvard University, the highest honor awarded by the university. He has published over 420 papers and holds over 100 patents.