Kam W. Leong, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Kam W. Leong is the Samuel Y. Sheng Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Systems Biology at Columbia University. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and joined the faculty in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1986, and then Duke University in 2006. He moved to Columbia University in 2014, focusing on research directions of nonviral gene editing, oral delivery of biologics, biomaterials-mediated inflammation modulation, and iPSC-based tissue-on-a-chip. He has published ~400 peer-reviewed research manuscripts with citations exceeding 52,000 and an h-index of 120, and holds more than 60 issued patents. His work has been recognized by the Society for Biomaterials Clemson Award and the CAB Global Biomaterials Leadership Award. His work has also been recognized by the 2025 IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award, for pioneering contributions to bionanotechnology that transformed therapies with drug and gene delivery, gene editing, and anti-inflammation nanomaterials. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Biomaterials, and a member of the USA National Academy of Inventors, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine.

  • Samuel Y. Sheng Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
  • Professor, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Medical Cnter
  • BS in Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
  • Research Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Member – National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventor, Academia Sinica
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – Chinese American Society of Nanotechnology & Nanomedicine
  • President’s Fellowship for Distinguished Scientist - Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Distinguished Scientist Award - International Journal of Nanomedicine
  • Clemson Award for Applied Research – Society for Biomaterials
  • Honorary professorship – Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Sichuan University, Zhejiang University, Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Columbia Affiliations
Columbia Biomedical Engineering
Columbia Engineering
Columbia University Medical Center