Philip Leder

Philip Leder (b. November 19, 1934) is an American geneticist. He was born in Washington, D.C. and studied at Harvard University, graduating in 1960. In 1964, he graduated from Harvard Medical School.

He is known for his early work with Marshall Nirenberg for working on the genetic code and the Nirenberg and Leder experiment. Since that landmark experiment, he has made many seminal contributions in the fields of molecular genetics, immunology and the genetic basis of cancer. He is a recipient of the Lasker Award and the National Medal of Science. He is currently Chairman of the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.