philip leder (november 19, 1934 – february 2, 2020) was an american geneticist. he was born in washington, d.c.. he was known for his works towards genetic code and the nirenberg and leder experiment. his many prizes include the lasker award (1987), the national medal of science (1991), the harvey prize, and the heineken prize awarded by the royal netherlands academy of arts and sciences. he was a member of the national academy of sciences, the american academy of arts and sciences and the institute of medicine.