He Was Rejected 9 Times - Then Built World-Changing Medicine
Fri Jan 30 2026
Dr. Robert Langer discusses how he approaches scientific research, entrepreneurship, and the process of turning ideas into real-world technologies. Drawing from decades of experience in medicine, engineering, and company building, he explains why asking the right questions matters more than having immediate answers, and how progress in health technology often happens slowly and unevenly.
Dr. Langer is known as the "Edison of Medicine" he has authored more than 1,500 scientific papers and is the most-cited engineer in history. As Co-Founder of Moderna, he helped discovered the COVID-19 vaccine and has over 45 honorary degrees from universities around the world.
This discussion covers the practical realities of working in research labs, the challenges of translating science into products, and the role startups play in bringing new technologies to patients. Langer reflects on early skepticism toward his work, what persistence looks like in practice, and how failure shapes both scientific and commercial outcomes.
Rather than focusing on predictions or trends, this episode looks at how decisions are made over long periods of time - in research, in companies, and in careers. The conversation is grounded in experience and focuses on how useful technologies are built, evaluated, and sustained.
This episode will be relevant to researchers, founders, students, and anyone interested in how science and business intersect in practice.
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Dr. Robert Langer discusses how he approaches scientific research, entrepreneurship, and the process of turning ideas into real-world technologies. Drawing from decades of experience in medicine, engineering, and company building, he explains why asking the right questions matters more than having immediate answers, and how progress in health technology often happens slowly and unevenly. Dr. Langer is known as the "Edison of Medicine" he has authored more than 1,500 scientific papers and is the most-cited engineer in history. As Co-Founder of Moderna, he helped discovered the COVID-19 vaccine and has over 45 honorary degrees from universities around the world. This discussion covers the practical realities of working in research labs, the challenges of translating science into products, and the role startups play in bringing new technologies to patients. Langer reflects on early skepticism toward his work, what persistence looks like in practice, and how failure shapes both scientific and commercial outcomes. Rather than focusing on predictions or trends, this episode looks at how decisions are made over long periods of time - in research, in companies, and in careers. The conversation is grounded in experience and focuses on how useful technologies are built, evaluated, and sustained. This episode will be relevant to researchers, founders, students, and anyone interested in how science and business intersect in practice.