Charles L. Cooney is Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Emeritus, in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He is the Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, Co-Director of the Program on the Pharmaceutical Industry (POPI) and MIT faculty director of the Consortium on Advanced Manufacturing for Pharmaceuticals (CAMP).  He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. His Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemical Engineering are from MIT in 1967, and 1970, respectively.  After a short post-doctoral time at the Squibb Institute for Medical Research in 1970, he joined the MIT faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1970 and became a full Professor in 1982.  He received the 1989 Gold Medal of the Institute of Biotechnological Studies (London), the Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the James Van Lanen Distinguished Service Award from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Microbial and Biochemical Technology and was elected to the American Institute of Medical and Biochemical Engineers.  He serves as a consultant to a number of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, is on several editorial boards of professional journals, sits on the Boards of Directors of Genzyme, BioProcessors and Biocon, Ltd (India), and is a member of the BP Technical Advisory Council. He chaired the FDA Advisory Committee for Pharmaceutical Science from 2004-2006.

Prof. Cooney’s research interests span a range of topics in biochemical engineering and pharmaceutical manufacturing. He has published over 300 research papers, over 30 patents and co-authored or edited 5 books including the recently published Development of Sustainable Bioprocesses: Modeling and Assessment, Wiley Press 2006. He research interest include manufacturing strategy in the pharmaceutical, biotech and biofuels industries, as well as bioprocess design, operation and control, and processing of pharmaceutical powders.  As founding faculty director of the Deshpande Center he is interested in the process of stimulating technological innovation and translating innovation into new company creation.

In addition to his professional interests, Prof. Cooney is a Trustee of Boston Ballet, and an Overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Other interests include rock climbing, skiing, high altitude mountaineering (with assents of Denali, Ama Dablam, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Huascaran), scuba diving and antique map collecting.