J. Michael Bishop: The Visionary Scientist Who Uncovered the Cellular Origins of Cancer
J. Michael Bishop (born 22 February 1936) is an American immunologist and microbiologist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1989 for his groundbreaking research on the genetic basis of cancer, along with Harold E. Varmus.
Life and Career
He was born on 22 February 1936, in Pennsylvania, U.S. In 1957, he received his bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Later, he went to Harvard University Medical School and earned an MD.
Having spent two years at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, he became a researcher at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He joined the faculty of the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco in 1968 and became a full professor in 1972. From 1981 to 1987, he was the director of the George F. Hooper Research Foundation.
In the early 1980s, Bishop and Varmus conducted research that led to the discovery of the first oncogene, a gene that can transform normal cells into cancerous ones. They demonstrated that the oncogene was a mutated version of a normal cellular gene, which they called a proto-oncogene. This work revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of cancer and led to the development of new treatments for the disease. He has also served as the chancellor of UCSF and as the president of the American Association for Cancer Research. Bishop continues to be active in the scientific community and has been a strong advocate for science education and outreach.
Award and Legacy
He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1989 for his groundbreaking research on the genetic basis of cancer, along with Harold E. Varmus.
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