Kam Leong is the Samuel Y. Sheng Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, and holds an Interdisciplinary Faculty position in the Department of Systems Biology. He is a pioneer in developing multifunctional nanoscale technologies for delivering drugs, antigens, proteins, siRNA, and DNA to cells. Innovations in the Leong Lab include biomaterials such as electrospun nanofibers for controlled release and tissue engineering, synthesis of biocompatible and near-infrared-emitting quantum dots, nucleic acid-binding polymers, and microfluidic platforms for nanomedicine. He has also designed nonviral gene delivery mechanisms for hemophilia treatment, genetic immunization, and cellular reprogramming. His recent work has focused on directly reprogramming adult cells from one lineage to another without going through the intermediate pluripotent state. His lab is particularly interested in how such approaches, based in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, could offer new strategies for treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Dr. Leong is internationally recognized as a leader in the development of nanoscale therapeutics. In 2013 he was elected a Member of the USA National Academy of Engineering and a Member of the USA National Academy of Inventors.