Dr. Lander is a geneticist, molecular biologist and a mathematician, with research interests in human genetics, mouse genetics, population genetics and computational and mathematical methods in biology.

He and his research group have developed many of the tools of modern genome research including genomic maps of the human, mouse and rat genomes in connection with the Human Genome Project and techniques for genetic analyses of complex, multigenic traits. He has applied these techniques to the understanding of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, renal failure and dwarfism.