By Jeffrey A. Newman Esq
Charles Lieber, a brain scientist who worked at Harvard and was convicted of lying to U.S. authorities about payments from China, is now rebuilding his research lab in China to study the human-computer interface, according to news reports. Liber was found guilty by a Jury and convicted in 2021 for his false statements to federal authorities about his connections to Chinese state authorities, as well as tax violations regarding payments received. He only spent two days in prison and six months in house arrest and a fine.
Reuters now reports that he is now overseeing the Institute for Brain Research. Lieber was named the world’s top chemist for 2000-2010. There is some suggestion in press reports that his work could have military applications for China.
His published bio states: Professor Charles M. Lieber is a leading scientist in nanoscience and chemistry. He holds a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College (1981) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1985). Following postdoctoral research at Caltech (1985-1987), he held faculty positions at Columbia University (1987-1991) and Harvard University (1991-2023), where he served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (2015-2020) and was named a University Professor (2017). He is currently a Professor within the Institute of Materials Research in Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.
05/2025-present Chair Professor, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Tsinghua SIGS). He retired from Harvard University in February 2023. Lieber’s transition highlights how China is successfully attracting top-tier Western talent to advance its technological superiority, even after they have been flagged for security risks by the U.S.
Importantly, yes, Dr. Charles Lieber, the former Harvard University chemist, received over $15 million to $18 million in federal research grants and funds from U.S. government agencies (primarily the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense) during his time working in the United States.
Jeffrey Newman, JD, MBA, is a whistleblower lawyer whose firm represents physicians who become whistleblowers in healthcare fraud cases, as well as individuals reporting violations of export controls, tariff evasion, and money laundering. Whistleblower laws in the U.S. allow individuals with information about export control violations or tariff fraud to report it under the False Claims Act. The Firm’s website is www.JeffNewmanLaw.com. Attorney Newman can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or at 978-880-4758. For other blogs, see: http://JeffNewmanLaw.com
