Charles M. Lieber

For the physician, see Charles S. Lieber.

Charles M. Lieber
Born1959 (age 64–65)[1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationFranklin & Marshall College
Stanford University
Known forNanomaterials synthesis and assembly
Nanostructure characterization
Nanoelectronics and nanophotonics
Nanobioelectronics
AwardsWolf Prize in Chemistry (2012)
MRS Von Hippel Award (2016)
Scientific career
FieldsNanoscience and nanotechnology
Chemistry
Materials physics
Neuroscience
InstitutionsHarvard University
Columbia University
Wuhan University of Technology
Doctoral studentsHongjie Dai
Xiangfeng Duan
Philip Kim
Peidong Yang
Latha Venkataraman
Yi Cui
Criminal statusConvicted
MotiveProfessional accolades
Conviction(s)December 21, 2021
Criminal chargeTwo 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)
PenaltySix months house arrest, $50,000 fine, back taxes
Date apprehended
January 28, 2020

Charles M. Lieber (born 1959)[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] In 2012, Lieber was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in a special ceremony held at the Israeli Knesset.[6][7]

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,[8][9] as well as four counts of filing false tax returns.[10][11] 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.[10][12]

Lieber has been on paid leave from Harvard since his arrest in 2020[13] as a result of his criminal charges and a lymphoma diagnosis.

  1. ^ a b c "Charles M. Lieber". Lieber Research Group. Harvard University. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Top 100 Chemists, 2000–2010 – ScienceWatch.com – Clarivate". archive.sciencewatch.com. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Lieber Research Group – Former Group Members". Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Dr Lieber was charged in a criminal complaint for failure to disclose Chinese government funding of his research.
  4. ^ "Lieber Research Group – Publications". Archived from the original on October 30, 2016.
  5. ^ "Lieber Research Group – People – Charles M. Lieber". Archived from the original on November 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "2012 Wolf Prize in Chemistry". May 13, 2012. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  7. ^ "Harvard scientist with alleged ties to China may be released on $1.5M bond". MSN. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Chappell, Bill (January 28, 2020). "Acclaimed Harvard Scientist Is Arrested, Accused Of Lying About Ties To China". NPR. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "Harvard University Professor and Two Chinese Nationals Charged in Three Separate China Related Cases". www.justice.gov. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Viswanatha, Byron Tau and Aruna (December 22, 2021). "Prominent Harvard Professor Found Guilty of Lying About China Ties". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Leonard, Jenny (December 12, 2019). "China's Thousand Talents Program Finally Gets the U.S.'s Attention". Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  12. ^ Cho, Isabella; Kingdollar, Brandon; Soshi, Mayesha (December 22, 2021). "Harvard Professor Charles Lieber Found Guilty of Lying About China Ties". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Murphy, Shelley (December 21, 2021). "Harvard professor found guilty of lying about financial ties to Chinese university". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 22, 2021.