35 Innovators Under 35 2015

There’s more than one way to read these stories. Sure, the subjects are inspiring and creative people. But these are not merely personality profiles. They also illustrate the most important emerging technologies of the moment. In biomedicine, for example, we feature several people who are figuring out in detail how the brain works and how we might stave off mental disorders. Others are unearthing knowledge about cancer that might open new avenues for treatment. Meanwhile, as robotics and artificial intelligence make astonishing progress, innovators in those fields are showcased here. So are people who are cleverly taking advantage of the falling cost of sensors and bandwidth.

The selection process for this package begins with hundreds of nominations from the public, MIT Technology Review editors, and our international partners who publish Innovators Under 35 lists in their regions. Our editors pare the list to about 80 people, who submit descriptions of their work and letters of reference. Then outside judges rate the finalists on the originality and impact of their work; that feedback helps the editors choose this group.