Charles M. Lieber
Charles M. Lieber (born 1959) is an American chemist, inventor, nanotechnologist, and writer. In 2011, Lieber was named the leading chemist in the world for the decade 2000–2010 by Thomson Reuters, based on the impact of his scientific publications. He is known for his contributions to the synthesis, assembly and characterization of nanoscale materials and nanodevices, the application of nanoelectronic devices in biology, and as a mentor to numerous leaders in nanoscience.
Charles M. Lieber | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Franklin & Marshall College Stanford University |
| Known for | Nanomaterials synthesis and assembly Nanostructure characterization Nanoelectronics and nanophotonics Nanobioelectronics |
| Awards | Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2012) MRS Von Hippel Award (2016) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nanoscience and nanotechnology Chemistry Materials physics Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Harvard University Columbia University Wuhan University of Technology |
| Doctoral students | Hongjie Dai Philip Kim Peidong Yang Latha Venkataraman Yi Cui |
| Criminal status | Convicted |
| Motive | Professional accolades |
| Conviction(s) | December 21, 2021 |
| Criminal charge | Two counts each of making false statements to federal authorities (18 USC § 1001), filing false tax returns (26 USC § 7206) and failing to report foreign income (26 USC § 5322) |
| Penalty | Six months house arrest, $50,000 fine, back taxes |
Date apprehended | January 28, 2020 |
Lieber, a professor at Harvard University, has published over 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has edited and contributed to many books on nanoscience. Until 2020 he was the chair of the department of chemistry and chemical biology, and held a joint appointment in that department and the school of engineering and applied sciences as the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor. He is the principal inventor on over fifty issued US patents and applications, and joined nanotechnology company Nanosys as a scientific co-founder in 2001 and Vista Therapeutics in 2007. In 2012, Lieber was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in a special ceremony held at the Israeli Knesset.
In December 2021, Lieber was convicted of six felonies, including two counts of making false statements to the FBI and investigators from the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health regarding his participation in the Chinese government's Thousand Talents Program, as well as four counts of filing false tax returns. The US government began its investigation of Lieber as part of the China Initiative, a program established by the Department of Justice in 2018 to investigate academic espionage at American universities.
Lieber has been on paid leave from Harvard since his arrest in 2020 as a result of his criminal charges and a lymphoma diagnosis.