Charles L. Cooney

Charles Cooney is the Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering, Emeritus in the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering and the founding Faculty Director, Emeritus of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT.

Prof. Cooney's research has spanned a wide range of topics in biochemical engineering, biopharma and pharmaceutical manufacturing and technological innovation. His teaching in the academic classroom and in professional and executive education, has focused on bioprocess development and manufacturing and translating technological innovation into new company creation.

Cooney has been an advisor, board member, or founder of over 40 companies. He is a consultant to multiple biotech and pharma companies and sits on the Board of Directors of Innovent Biologics (Hong Kong), Iterative Health, Boyd Technology, Elektrofi, Hovione (Portugal), Levitronix Technologies, and is chairman of AIM Biotech. His past public board positions include Genzyme, Astra AB, Pall Corp., Polypore International, Biocon, Ltd. (India), Codiak Bioscience, GreenLight Bioscience and Cuno, Inc. He chaired the FDA Advisory Committee (2004-06) for Pharmaceutical Science.

In addition, Prof. Cooney is Trustee Emeritus of Boston Ballet, Board of Advisors Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chairman of the Leventhal Map and Education Center. Other interests include high altitude mountaineering (with assents of Denali, Ama Dablam, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Huascaran), skiing, scuba diving and antique map collecting.

Prof. Cooney received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and the S.M. and Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from MIT. After a short post-doc at Squibb he joined the MIT faculty. He was the founding Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation and is an advisor to SMART (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology) Innovation Center and previously, the faculty lead for innovation programs associated with the Skoltech (Russia), the MIT Portugal Programs and the MIT-Masdar Institute (Abu Dhabi).