Robert S. Langer Robert S. Langer (1948–) While the study of materials has long been at the center of what we think of as polymer science, macromolecular theory was born out of the study of biomaterials, and it’s only fitting that one of the most active research frontiers in polymer science is that of bioactive synthetic materials. At the cutting edge of this field is Robert S. Langer. Since joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty in 1977, Langer has specialized in controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering. His discoveries underpin today’s multibillion-dollar controlled-drug-delivery industry and have provided a framework for the emerging technology of tissue engineering. Much of Langer’s research has been in biomedical applications of polymers, and his groundbreaking research dispelled the belief that only some sizes of molecules could be delivered slowly. Langer’s later research has led to the development of a number of novel biodegradable polymers with medical applications. One of these resulted in a drug-delivery system for the treatment of brain cancer (developed with Dr. Henry Brem of the Johns Hopkins University Medical School), the first FDA-approved treatment for brain cancer in 20 years and the first polymer-based treatment to deliver chemotherapy directly to a tumor site. This treatment has extended the lives of numerous patients and has far fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy.