Featured Researcher
Interview with Prof. Larry Stanton
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1) What attracted you to a career in biology/medicine? |
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Originally, my interests were more in field biology, particularly aquatic ecosystems. This all developed from my joy of nature and my tropical fish hobby. But as an undergrad I took a strong interest in chemistry and eventually pursued a PhD in biochemistry, which then evolved into a strong interest in understanding the molecular basis of disease. |
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Who are your scientific heroes? |
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Charles Darwin, Louis Pasteur, Linus Pauling
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Which scientist/clinician has made the biggest impact in your field? |
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Shinya Yamanaka
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What paper had the most influence on you? |
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Stehelin, Varmus and Bishop, Nature 260 p 170-173 (1976), which showed the existence of cancer-causing genes in the human genome
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What's the best advice you ever had? |
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Do your post-doc studies in San Francisco—Arnold Levine. |
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What's the worst advice you ever had? |
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Don’t go to Singapore—my mother. This was really more a plea than advice. |
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What was your biggest thrill in science? |
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As a graduate student I cloned and sequenced a chromosomal translocation and demonstrated that this led to activation of the c-myc oncogene. The thrill was capped by a first author publication of a full article in Nature. That was in 1983.
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What are the main issues confronting stem cell researchers? |
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Controlling stem cell differentiation to realize the enormous potential of regenerative medicine. |
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How should we deal with ethical/moral issues associated with stem cell research? |
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Work closely with all members of society to draft guidelines on what is acceptable research and to abide by these guidelines. |
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What are the main attractions of working in Singapore? |
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The commitment from the government, scientists, clinicians, and general population to make an impact on human health through scientific research. |
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