Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Colleagues, students pay tribute to MIT’s Langer

By Marc Songini

While MIT’s high-profile biotechnologist Robert Langer is known to the outside world as “Dr. Langer,” to the 40 ex-students and colleagues who gathered last night at his belated 60th birthday party at the MIT Faculty Club, he is simply “Bob.”

Among the celebrants were patent lawyers, scientists, entrepreneurs and academics — many of them highly acclaimed in their own right. Their vocations may have varied widely, but a common theme emerged when they talked about their career choices: the influence of Bob Langer. “He has inspired so many people to go in so many directions,” said attendee Michael Terapane, a patent attorney with Pabst Patent Group LLP in Atlanta.

“He’s a great businessman and first-rate scientist and a human being,” said David Lucchino, the CEO of Semprus Biosciences, based in Cambridge. “You want to start a business with people like that, whom you like, whom you trust.”

Lucchino’s colleague, Chris Loose, Semprus’ CTO, added: “He gives a tremendous amount of support to students and colleagues.”

Despite the informal environment at the birthday dinner, it was clear that the level of respect Langer had earned wasn’t just for his luminary status as an over-achieving scientist, entrepreneur and innovator, but also for his loyalty as a friend. A half dozen of the attendees, however, spoke of a patient if demanding teacher and counselor, committed to big ideas, and willing to be a mentor. They painted a portrait of a man who is good as well as great, willing to listen, and who always responds to e-mail.
 
That said, it’s hard to do justice to Langer’s stature when you look at his accomplishments. He is one of 14 faculty members to be named as an MIT Institute Professor — the highest honor the institution bestows. He’s written over 1,000 articles, has had 600 patents issued (or pending), with 200 of them being licensed by companies. His awards and honors run into the dozens. Just last June, he won the 2008 Millennium Technology Prize, presented in Helsinki, Finland, for his work on biomaterials that regulate the release of drugs in patients, to cite just one example. In 2004, Mass High Tech named him a High Tech All-Star.

Langer wasn’t afraid to push students to be their best, as well. “I’d have no career without Bob,” said Prasad Sashtri, a former student of Langer. Sashtri is now assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and director of the biomaterials, drug delivery and tissue-engineering lab there. “He inspires you to think big.” Even a risky idea will succeed “if you work hard,” he said. “Bob never gives up.”

As for Langer, he said he found the night nothing less than “wonderful,” even if his actual physical birthday was several months past. “It was a pleasure to see many of my former students and colleagues,” said Langer. “I’m really proud of how well they are doing. Many have become CEOs of successful companies and nearly 200 are professors all over the world.”

The key to his success is to treat his students “like an extended family,” he told Mass High Tech. As for his own motivation: “When I saw that people needed help, it gave me pleasure to try and solve their problems with science.”