Nurse-ing Rockefeller
Karen Birmingham
J Clin Invest. 2003;112(5):630-630. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI19808.
News
Nearly two years after Arnie Levine’s troubled exit, and just in time for Thanksgiving, Sir Paul Nurse will take up residence as the ninth president of Rockefeller University in November. A man who freely admits that he has hitherto deliberately avoided working in the US, British-born Sir Paul says the change will do him good. “When you get a Nobel Prize you get lauded by everybody. I was worried I might rest on my laurels, so I’m now exposing myself like a baby. I could get it wrong,” he told the JCI. Sir Paul became head of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) in 1996 and remained in place through its merger with the Cancer Research Campaign to become Cancer Research UK (CRUK) in February 2002. He shared the 2001 Nobel Prize with Leland Hartwell and Tim Hunt for their discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle, and insists that a great part of the Rockefeller attraction is that he will be able to pursue his own research. “There were a couple of posts that came up in the last year while I was considering [Rockefeller]. I did think about the Director of the Wellcome Trust and the MRC chief executiveship, but I really wanted to run a lab myself and I wasn’t sure that I’d get enough time […]
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Nurse-ing Rockefeller
Nearly two years after Arnie Levine’s changes in cell shape during tumor thinking about. There’s a need for troubled exit, and just in time for metastasis. “Fission yeast have a precise some more infrastructure support Thanksgiving, Sir Paul Nurse will take cylindrical shape, and we’ve taken a because there’s been a lot of recruit- up residence as the ninth president of genetic approach to understanding ment recently and we have to make Rockefeller University in November. A this. How does a cell comprehend its sure that the endowment is in place man who freely admits that he has overall shape in the world? We’ve to support that.” hitherto deliberately avoided working looked for genes that organize the Rockefeller’s endowment is sub- in the US, British-born Sir Paul says microtubules of the cytoskeleton which stantial, but the last three–four years the change will do him don’t simply destroy the have seen financial markets stall. good. “When you get a cell shape when they’re “The Rockefeller has barely lost any- Nobel Prize you get lauded damaged, but alter it in thing over the past few years,” he’s by everybody. I was wor- more subtle ways such as quick to counter, “only a couple of ried I might rest on my bending rather than percent, and most organizations have laurels, so I’m now expos- growing straight.” lost 30–40 percent. It’s done bril- ing myself like a baby. I Finally, although he liantly but might not have grown could get it wrong,” he declares himself an ama- enough to absorb the extra recruit- told the JCI. teur in the field, he is ment.” He will examine the need for Sir Paul became head of also interested in the fundraising and will look at ways of the Imperial Cancer post-genomics of the bringing in more response-mode Research Fund (ICRF) in Sir Paul Nurse yeast genome, particu- grant money to the university. 1996 and remained in Taking a chance on larly in terms of map- Additionally he wants to bring the place through its merger America-finally. ping the origins of repli- “science-in-society philosophy” for with the Cancer Research cation given that fission which he is renowned to the Upper Campaign to become Cancer yeast are intermediate between bud- East Side of Manhattan. “I’ve done Research UK (CRUK) in February ding yeast and higher metazoan cells quite a lot of this with the Royal Soci- 2002. He shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in this respect. ety and CRUK, but of course there’s a with Leland Hartwell and Tim Hunt The latter project will continue in different culture in the US that I need for their discoveries of key regulators collaboration with a team at The to get to know. Yet we have a responsi- of the cell cycle, and insists that a Wellcome Trust’s Sanger Institute. Sir bility to take a lead in discussions on great part of the Rockefeller attrac- Paul will also preserve close contact topics such as stem cell research.” tion is that he will be able to pursue with Jacky Hayle, a colleague of 20 his own research. “There were a cou- years, with whom he has a permanent “I'm now exposing myself like ple of posts that came up in the last contract in London. Very few of his a baby. I could get it wrong.” year while I was considering [Rocke- lab staff are transferring to Rocke- feller]. I did think about the Director feller, so he will maintain his current of the Wellcome Trust and the MRC CRUK lab by shuttling across the A quick calculation of the presi- chief executiveship, but I really want- Atlantic. “I’ll lead a lab here at CRUK dential terms of office at Rockefeller ed to run a lab myself and I wasn’t for another two years, and I’ll visit reveals that they have become pro- sure that I’d get enough time to do London every six–seven weeks to run gressively shorter since Simon Flexn- that in those positions.” that. As it contracts I’ll build up a lab er’s 33-year rule, which began in in New York.” 1902. Levine stayed for four years. Sir Lab work Paul, who admits to being in his Sir Paul will pursue three aspects of Balancing the books early fifties, is confident of a research centered on fission yeast — the Rockefeller’s research spending is respectable reign. “There are defi- organism in which he discovered his around $240 million, virtually equal nitely two things that I know I can Nobel Prize–winning control points of to CRUK’s $250 million research do: I have a lot of experience in run- the cell cycle. He will continue to inves- budget. “[Rockefeller is] a well run ning research organizations, and at tigate DNA replication and cell cycle institution,” he says. “I’m inheriting the same time I yearn to do more of checkpoints and is also working on cell something in very good shape. But my research. A change of country form in the hope of understanding there are of course things that I’m will shake me up.”
Karen Birmingham, London
630 The Journal of Clinical Investigation | September 2003 | Volume 112 | Number 5