Richard A. Lerner (born August 26, 1938) is an American research chemist. Best known for his work on catalytic antibodies, Lerner served as President of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) until January 1, 2012, and is currently a member of its Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, in La Jolla, California.In 2012 he received the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research.