Charles Delisi

Charles is a pioneer in computational and mathematical biology and is widely recognized as the father of the Human Genome Project. He also initiated its Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) program—now a global model for scientific foresight. He has written or co-edited 11 books, and he, his students, and colleagues have published more than 300 scientific papers. As former Dean of Boston University's College of Engineering, he spearheaded curricular innovations in science and society and established the nation's first PhD program in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. He previously served as a professor and department chair at Mount Sinai Medical School, Director of the US Department of Energy's Health and Environmental Research Programs, and Laboratory Chief in the NIH Intramural Research Program. His most recent book, "Why Don't Spinning Tops Fall: Curious Caroline Questions Everyday Wonders," received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award for "...books that we find perfect in their delivery of original content, using fresh themes to convey innovative ideas, and employing elegant prose to transform words into expertly written literature."