Noubar Afeyan
From life-science ideas to innovative ventures
Noubar Afeyan is a biological engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist of Armenian heritage, born in Beirut in 1962. He earned his doctorate in biochemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987.
In 2000, he founded Flagship Pioneering to create biotechnology companies around scientific ideas. He is also a co-founder of Moderna, whose work centres on messenger RNA technology, including its application in a COVID-19 vaccine.
Afeyan has also participated in educational and humanitarian initiatives, helping establish UWC Dilijan and the Aurora Prize with partners. His career links laboratory science, entrepreneurship and projects with a wider public purpose.