Bob Langer On How Science Can Tackle COVID-19 (VIDEO)

Join Wildtype Media Group CEO Dr. Juliana Chan as she chats with biotechnology trailblazer Professor Robert Langer about the role that science plays in the fight against COVID-19.

AsianScientist (Apr. 17, 2020) – As each day of the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the number of infected people and death toll continues to grow, with devastating impacts on everyday life and the economy. In the midst of the gloom, science is our best shot at a solution. Much needed vaccines, novel diagnostic approaches and new therapies all would not be possible without research and scientific innovation.

Join us on April 22, 2020, as we speak to one of the world’s top scientists working on a solution: Professor Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The most cited engineer in history, Langer has written more than 1,200 articles and has more than 800 issued and pending patents worldwide. He runs the largest biomedical engineering lab in the world with more than 100 researchers. Langer has received over 250 major awards including the 2006 United States National Medal of Science; the 2002 Charles Stark Draper Prize and the 2008 Millennium Prize. He has honorary degrees from 34 universities around the world.

In 1989, Langer was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and in 1992 he was elected to both the National Academy of Engineering and to the National Academy of Sciences. He is the youngest person to be elected to all three US National Academies. Named by Forbes as one of the 25 most important people in biotechnology in the world, Langer is the academic co-founder of US biotech Moderna, which began a Phase I trial on their COVID-19 vaccine candidate on March 16, 2020.

Seen as the frontrunner in the race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, Moderna has recently secured US$483 million in funding from the US’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to take their mRNA vaccine to Phase II trials. The Phase II study, slated to begin in the second quarter of 2020, could be swiftly followed up by Phase III trials as soon as the fall, according to a statement released by Moderna.

In the special webinar, Langer will discuss COVID-19 research taking place in his lab and how advances in nanotechnology and healthcare could enable humanity to address the current crisis.

Date:
Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Time:
11:00 am Eastern US Time
4:00 pm UK Time
11:00 pm Singapore/Hong Kong Time

Please register here.


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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

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