Leslie Greengard joined the Simons Foundation in 2013 as founding director of the Simons Center for Data Analysis, now called the Center for Computational Biology. Prior to that, Greengard served as director of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1989. Greengard holds an M.D. and Ph.D. in computer science from Yale University.
A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, Greengard has contributed to the fields of scientific computing, data analysis and integral equations. One of his most significant scientific achievements, together with Vladimir Rokhlin, was the development of the Fast Multipole Method (FMM), a mathematical technique with an enormous range of applications, from chip simulation to molecular modeling. In 2000, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognized the FMM as one of the top ten algorithms of the 20th century and in 2001, Greengard and Rokhlin received the Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research from the American Mathematical Society for their work.
In addition to his research contributions, Greengard co-founded MadMax Optics, which developed advanced numerical algorithms to solve complex engineering problems in opto-electronics. At MadMax Optics, Greengard served as chief executive officer and chief technology officer from 2001 to 2004.
