Wolfson Alumnus Eric Lander named top scientific adviser by Joe Biden

A geneticist, molecular biologist and mathematician, Lander will be the first biologist in the role and would be the first in the cabinet. Biden said he is “one of the most brilliant persons I know” and is someone who has “changed the course of human history” through his work to map the human genome. During Barack Obama’s presidency, Lander was co-chair of the Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. 

Lander has played a pioneering role in all aspects of the reading, understanding and biomedical application of the human genome, developing powerful methods for discovering the molecular basis of human diseases. He attended Wolfson College in 1981 as a Rhodes Scholar, and wrote his DPhil thesis under the supervision of Peter Cameron.

Photo by Casey Atkins Photography, courtesy of Broad Institute