Researcher

Charles Lieber

Profile

Charles Lieber is an American nanoscientist at Harvard University who pioneered the synthesis and application of semiconductor nanowires for biological and medical applications. His laboratory developed some of the smallest electronic devices ever created, including transistors made from individual silicon nanowires that can detect single virus particles and cancer biomarkers with extreme sensitivity. His most revolutionary contribution is the development of syringe-injectable mesh electronics—a form of flexible electronic scaffold that can be injected into the brain, unfold to match the shape of neural tissue, and merge seamlessly with neurons for long-term electrical recording and stimulation. This technology represents a fundamentally new approach to brain-machine interfaces, potentially enabling minimally invasive neural recording across the entire brain. Lieber also developed nanowire-based probes for subcellular electrophysiology and intracellular drug delivery. His work has significant implications for next-generation brain-computer interfaces, neuroprosthetics, and the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. His scientific contributions to nanoscale electronics and neuroscience remain highly cited and influential across many fields of research and industrial application.

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