Are Breakthroughs Foreseeable? Page 2 Page 3
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Research Fields for the Medicine of Tomorrow Are Breakthroughs Foreseeable? Page 2 Page 3 Dear Readers, Friends and Partners of the Imprint Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, Editor Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung Content Editor PD Dr. Susanne Schultz-Hector Can we predict groundbreaking scientific discoveries? A look back in time Contents (officially liable under German press law) suggests not – and the path to scientific progress is just as unpredictable. Nevertheless, the allocation of finite funding requires decisions that can 2 Publication Details Managing Editor Christiane Löll only be made based on assumptions. Both public and private research funding is an investment in the future. With the Else Kröner Fresenius 3 Editorial Translation Sternkopf Communications, Lisa Wicklund Preis für Medizinische Forschung 2017, we hope to provide momentum to a particularly promising research field by making resources available 4 Scope for Creativity Art Director Angelika Schwarz to a prominent scientist in this area. EKFS would therefore like to create a framework that will give the prizewinner the opportunity to make substantial 6 Can We Predict Picture Editor Beatrice Jansen progress in their work and inspire talented young scientists to enter the field. Breakthroughs? A major criteria for selecting a prizewinner is of course our appreciation Fact-checking Christian Schwan for the individual’s achievements to date. In 2013, immunologist Ruslan 12 Heading for the Next Else Kröner Medzhitov from Yale University received the prize. Fresenius Preis für Medizinische Publisher TEMPUS CORPORATE GmbH – Forschung 2017 a member of Die ZEIT publishing group The first step toward conferring the 2017 prize is to identify a research Office Berlin Askanischer Platz 3, 10963 Berlin field for nominations. This has led us to becoming involved in an exciting 15 The Next Generation takes Center Office Hamburg Buceriusstraße, Eingang Speersort 1, 20095 Hamburg process of reflection on scientific theory and history in two workshops. Stage Alongside Nobel Prize winners, senior editors of leading scientific jour- Project Managers Dr. Regine Brandtner, Maria Einhorn nals and young scientists with a fresh perspective took part in animated 17 A Workshop with Intelligent Minds discussions. We therefore tapped into the driving force behind science Production Torsten Bastian (resp.), Dirk Woschei and that which forms its beating heart: intelligent minds uniting creativ- 23 A Letter from the World of Research ity and passion. In the hope of sparking your interest, we are reporting on Printing G. Peschke Druckerei GmbH, the progress of our search in this booklet. 24 Image: Research Fields for Taxetstraße 4, 85599 Parsdorf b. München Tomorrow’s Medicine Contact Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung Postfach 1852, 61288 Bad Homburg v. d. H. Telefon: +49 6172 8975-0 Telefax: +49 6172 8975-15 [email protected] www.ekfs.de Dr. Susanne Schultz-Hector Member of the Executive Board Photos/Illustrations/Paintings p. 4: Heinrich Völkel/Ostkreuz Agency, p. 5: Wolfgang Leidhold, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung p. 6-9: skizzomat/Marie Luise Emmermann, p. 10: © 2012 Börner / Quelle: PLoS ONE: www.plosone.org, p. 12-16: Heinrich Völkel/ Ostkreuz Agency, p. 18: The Swedish Cancer Society, p. 18-21: Christian Flemming/Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, p. 23: © MFPL, Daniel Hinterramskogler, p. 24-25: EKFS Tomorrows Medicine Field Workshop, Matthias Weitbrecht und Tami Tolpa Page 4 interview Page 5 Scope for Creativity How do You Arrive at a theory in Science? The knot is a historic symbol for the opaqueness of our world How can we initiate creativity? and cosmos. within itself it is highly regular. But we see only The primary hindrance here is our own inner resistance. There its outer aspect and not what is inside. One can definitely take is a naysayer within all of us who speaks up when we want to it as a symbol for the knowledge-based society, devoted to accomplish something new. it says: »Oh, just leave it. it is a stu- unraveling complex knots. pid idea. Better to carry on with what has already been suc- For his knot paintings, Wolfgang Leidhold cessful so far.« it took me a whole year to get away from the used self-made egg tempera and oil paints. He drew his inspiration from the Gordian You hold seminars in creative theory formation. What knot theme in my painting. knot which Alexander the Great once sliced are you trying to convey to the new generation of medical through with his sword. Leidhold also took professionals? When my inner inhibition stands in my way – how do I deal the Omphalos of Delphi, symbol for the cosmos, as his inspiration. Basically, it is about communicating a clear picture of the re- with this? search process. Of course, we know the process from scientific recognizing our inner inhibition as a merely psychological practice – but it also helps to get a bird’s eye view of the logical barrier, and not as a intuitive counter argument, is the first and methodical aspects. This is essential in order to identify the step in overcoming it. everything unfamiliar provokes unease, exact point in the process where creativity comes into play. resistance. As soon as we realize that this resistance does not constitute a valid argument against a new idea, we will easily You have developed a simple model that describes how cre- defy it. All creative people – whether artists, research ers or ativity finds its way into the formation of theories. Could you mystics – constantly come up against this archetypal inner clarify this? naysayer. One does well to anticipate it turning up – then The process develops in a cycle comprising four stations: pushing it politely to one side. starting with the theoretical principles (1) to the observa- As both political scientist and artist, how do you yourself Wolfgang Leidhold is an artist – as well as Professor of tions and experiments derived therefrom (2) and further to Are there other things that block creativity? come up with ideas? Political Theory and the History of Ideas at the University the analysis of the new findings thus gained (3). Finally, it is There are internal and external barriers. Besides the naysayer, to begin with, i take each thought seriously. Any idea will be of Cologne. The role of creativity in the process of theory down to classification into that which is already known. This there is a corresponding tendency to accept the familiar. As entered in my diary, an artistic thought in a sketchbook or on formation is one of the subjects he teaches to young scien- process runs smoothly while everything remains inherently creatures of habit, we love the established, the trusted, the ac- a sketching sheet. The question of whether it is beneficial and tists from different fields. In its quest for a promising field self-consistent and as long as no surprises crop up. cepted. A third opponent of creativity is the blind spot – we useful comes much later. of research for the next Else Kröner Fresenius Preis für if something unexpected should turn up in steps (2) and overlook, we ignore deviating observations, things which do in my experience, artistic and intellectual creativity Medizinische Forschung in 2017, EKFS is also involved in (3), then a discovery happens. Sometimes it is possible to not fit our grid pattern. we say: we will attend to that later – or: it strengthen each other interactively. whether that be music, similar questions. integrate the unexpected into the accepted theory by intro- is not so important. painting or poetry: to be productive yourself in any of these are- ducing minor modifications. when that does not work, the A typical external barrier, for instance, is a climate of co- as in a playful way is highly efficient– it strengthens the intellec- Professor Leidhold, as a painter, the knot is one of your theory has to be changed. we must then risk a new hypoth- formism in the scientific community; just as obstructive are tual area of our psyche and also stimulates creativity. But it is motifs – not as a simple fastening device but as a complex esis, and this is station (4). At this point we have the space time pressure, publication stress and a lack of leeway – thus a important to become productive yourself. Just look ing at pictu- labyrinth. Is it a symbol for the knowledge-based society? for creativity. lack of encouragement towards »playful« trial and error. res or reading history is of no use. Page 6 Cover Story Page 7 The Greatest Challenge of All Can We Predict Breakthroughs? It is a great challenge to find a promising research field for Jenner had thus cleared the way for vaccines against numer- the mind of a great scientist. »the greatest achievements in ing his investigations. Instead of disregarding the protein as a the Else Kröner Fresenius Preis für Medizinische Forschung ous infectious diseases. science are the consequence of talented and mentally pre- distraction or interference, Agre analyzed it and came to un- 2017. We can start by looking back in time. How do break- Meanwhile, the birth of modern antibiotics can be traced pared individuals who are able to recognize unexpected re- derstand its significance over a year later: the protein forms throughs come about, and who or what is the driving force back to Scotsman Alexander Fleming, who returned to an sults, draw conclusions, and then follow them wherever they aqueous channels in the cell membrane (aquaporins). behind them? At the same time, this is really only a start- experiment on bacteria after a short holiday in 1928. Aston- lead,« wrote geneticist and chairman of the renowned Lasker the phenomenon is aptly summed up by the word ing point – because medical research is a fast-moving field. ished, he realized that his experiment was completely ruined; Award jury, Joseph Goldstein, in the scientific journal Nature serendipity, which originates from a fairy tale about good Here is an overview of where we are now.