Taking technology from the lab to the patient
After finishing his PhD in molecular genetics in the late 1990s, Daniel Anderson found himself conflicted about what to do next: He enjoyed science, but wanted to find a way to have a direct impact on human health. He considered several paths, including pursing an MBA, but ultimately decided to take a postdoctoral research position in Institute Professor Robert Langer’s chemical engineering lab at MIT. He stayed at MIT and built a research program, in collaboration with Langer, for about a decade before launching his own lab at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in 2010. Anderson now works on developing new materials for medicine — drug delivery in particular — as well as novel treatments for diabetes and other diseases. Along the way, he has become a founder of several companies. “In the long run, I’m glad I didn’t go into industry or business school, because I feel I can...