Dr. Charles Lieber stands as a preeminent figure in nanoscience and chemistry, currently holding the distinguished position of Chair Professor at Tsinghua University's Institute of Materials Research within the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School. Following his appointment on April 28, 2025, he also serves as a SMART Investigator at the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, bringing his decades of expertise to China's scientific advancement initiatives. Educated at Franklin and Marshall College for his undergraduate studies and Stanford University where he earned his Ph.D. in 1985, Lieber established his academic career through faculty positions at Columbia University before joining Harvard University in 1991, where he ultimately served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and achieved the prestigious designation of University Professor. His distinguished career has been recognized through election to the US National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Arts & Sciences, as well as appointment as a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Professor Lieber's pioneering contributions to nanoscience have fundamentally reshaped the understanding and application of nanoscale materials, with his early work establishing the rational growth, characterization, and applications of functional nanoscale materials and heterostructures that provided foundational concepts for the bottom-up paradigm of nanoscience. He pioneered the controlled synthesis of semiconductor nanowires, developing methods for precise manipulation of composition, size, structure and morphology that have enabled predictable growth of nanowires across the periodic table, while his invention of chemical force microscopy revolutionized nanoscale surface characterization. With over 420 publications and more than 100 patents to his name, his scientific impact was recognized by Thomson Reuters when they ranked him as the top chemist worldwide for 2000-2010 based on citation impact. His development of nanowire superlattices with novel photonic and electronic properties laid the groundwork for intensive research efforts in nanowire photonics and electronics that continue to advance the field today.
Dr. Lieber's move to Tsinghua University represents a significant commitment to advancing scientific collaboration on a global scale, with his appointment poised to significantly enhance materials science and biomedical engineering development at Tsinghua and Shenzhen according to SIGS vice president Wang Hongwei. He has stated his motivation stems from a desire to pursue research that benefits all of humanity noting we decided to move elsewhere since I cannot do this in the US any longer reflecting his commitment to unfettered scientific progress for global benefit. Currently serving as the founding director of i-BRAIN, the Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies at Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, he continues to push the boundaries of nano-bioelectronics and brain science. His presence at Tsinghua is expected to foster deep interdisciplinary collaborations between domestic and international research teams while supporting the development of young scholars into world-class scientists, continuing his legacy of scientific leadership and mentorship that has already shaped numerous careers in the international research community.
