Langer Wins Kyoto Prize, Biotechnology Heritage Award

On June 20, the Inamori Foundation in Japan announced that Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor, won the Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology in the Biotechnology and Medical Technology field. The Kyoto Prize is presented annually to those who have made significant contributions to the “scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind.” Langer was specifically recognized as an interdisciplinary pioneer in the fields of medicine and engineering. He will receive his prize in Kyoto on Nov. 10. Later in the month, Langer also received the 2014 Biotechnology Heritage Award from the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. This annual award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the growth of biotechnology. "Bob is truly one of the great biotechnology pioneers," said Carsten Reinhardt, CHF's president and CEO, citing Langer’s contributions to tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and controlled drug-delivery systems.