David Lederman was born and raised in Bogata, Colombia. After moving to the United States in 1966, Lederman studied engineering at Cornell University, obtaining his Bachelor's degree, Master's degree and Ph. D by 1973.

Lederman returned to Bogota, where he was an assistant professor at the University of Los Andes. He became the Director of the University's Biomedical research division before returning to the U.S. in 1974.

As a senior and primary investigator for a series of NIH studies, Lederman became involved in the development and evaluation of artificial heart pumps. Since 1981, Lederman has served as CEO and Chairman of the board of ABIOMED, Inc. in Danvers, MA.

A prolific author, Lederman has given lectures about his research all over the world. He lives on north of Boston with his and two children.