32 Nobel Prize in Medicine 2008 1 HOW TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE Nine tips from Peter Doherty* who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1996, with comments by Harald zur Hausenn TIP 1: BE REALISTIC ANd don’T OVERRATE YOURSELF Harald zur Hausen: You have to be able to assess yourself realistically. Which after all is the mark of a good scientist. Never assume you know everything. And above all, don’t act like a know-it-all. BELIEVE ONLY WHAT YOU SEE TIP 2: AND TRY TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF THINKING UNCONVENTIONALLY Harald zur Hausen: I’ve often told young scientists how important it is to think outside the box once in a while. Simply contenting yourself with existing dogmas is both wrong and lazy. You don’t have to accept everything you’re taught, even if it counts as a scientific ‘truth.’ But if you take this approach, you must also expect to have to work harder. TIP 3: WORK WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE Harald zur Hausen: Working in an environment that offers the right balance of freedom and direction is extremely important for young scientists, for whom too much freedom and too little direction can be disastrous. That’s what happened to me at the start of my career. Later, when you’ve built up your own team, you have to develop a nose for talent. In my view, what helps here more than anything else is personal contact. TIP 4: WRITE CLEARLY AND PRECISELY Harald zur Hausen: One thing we have to be clear about: If the other person doesn’t understand what I’m saying, then assuming he or she is of average intelligence it has to be my fault and not that of the person I’m addressing. Communication failures of this kind usually indicate that you haven’t yet thought things through to their logical conclusion. * Peter Doherty, The Beginner’s Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize. A Life in Science. Columbia University Press, 2006 FOCUS ON A SPECIAL AREA; TIP 5: don’T FRITTER AWAY YOUR ENERGY Harald zur Hausen: Lack of focus is a real danger. Brilliant people who jump from one topic to another often achieve very little. You have to be obstinate, because no problem is easy to solve. CHOOSE YOUR PLACE OF WORK TIP 6: CAREFULLY Harald zur Hausen: That’s right. I’ve not always done that. TIP 7: TALK ABOUT YOUR TOPIC Harald zur Hausen: Those who brood over their problems all on their own and conduct wonderful experi- ments that no one ever hears about never get noticed and are soon forgotten. Surely the opposite is the more natural way: If you have some measure of scientific ambition, you’ll most likely want to share what you’re doing with your colleagues and if you’re astute as well, then you’ll want to hear their criticisms and suggestions. BE TENACIOUS AND DOGGED, BUT ALSO BE TIP 8: PREPARED TO FAIL Harald zur Hausen: Basically, you have to accept that most of the hypotheses that you advance and that you spend years of your life working on and tweak- ing will eventually turn out to be wrong. You then have to correct them – and go on working. You have to be prepared for a certain amount of frustration – perhaps even more so in science than in other areas. And no doubt about it, you also need luck. With the papillomaviruses, I was lucky. StEER CLEAR OF PRESTIGIOUS TIP 9: MANAGEMENT JOBS Harald zur Hausen: Assuming it really is a job in which you’re no more than an administrator, then I wholly subscribe to this statement. 1 “THE PRIZE IS A CREDIT TO US ALL” The Nobel Prize – an honor and a challenge for the DKFZ Monday morning, October 6, of the German Cancer Research 2008: Harald zur Hausen is Center (DKFZ) only learned the editing an article for the In- good news when he landed ternational Journal of Cancer in Berlin and switched his cell in his office in the Applied Tu- phone back on again. From then mor Virology building. In the on, he recounts, his sole concern neighboring main building the was to get back to Heidelberg Administrative-Commercial Di- as quickly as possible: “This was rector Josef Puchta is study- obviously going to be the high ing plans for the Center’s new point of the year.” buildings and renovations. The Scientific Director Otmar D. In Wiestler’s opinion, there is Wiestler is on a plane to Berlin, hardly any research scientist in where he is to give a lecture. biomedicine who has achieved At a quarter to eleven zur Hau- what his predecessor Harald sen’s phone rings. “I picked up zur Hausen can show for a life’s the phone,” he says, “and heard work. To shape the entire devel- a voice with a Swedish accent opment from the first bold hy- congratulating me on winning pothesis right up to the finished the Nobel Prize.” From then on product – the vaccine against chaos reigned supreme. “All hell cervical cancer now available in broke loose,” recalls the new every pharmacy – was “some- Nobel Laureate – who is not thing really, really special.” normally one to exaggerate. Otmar D. Wiestler succeeded “No, we really hadn’t been ex- Harald zur Hausen as Scientific pecting it,” says Wiestler, ex- Director of the DKFZ in 2004. plaining why the current head “The German Cancer Research 2 Center is an outstanding insti- past 20 years, research has laid tution,” he says, as he himself the groundwork for therapeutic realized soon after taking of- innovations at the cellular and fice. “And what makes it so out- molecular levels in particular. standing are the people – a truly “Using this excellent basic re- remarkable number of excellent search as a springboard,” says brains at all levels of the orga- Wiestler, “we now have to focus nization.” In his travels in Ger- more on applied medicine. After many and abroad, he has time all, taxpayers support us so that and again been witness to the we can do something to combat high esteem in which the Ger- cancer.” man Cancer Research Center is held. And now the Center is “Translational cancer research” famous as well. People will say: is the term used for research “The DKFZ – they’re the ones that aims to get its findings out with the Nobel Prize Winner.” As of the laboratory and into the Wiestler remarks: “It’s a wonder- hospital as quickly as possible. ful award for Harald zur Hausen. The clinical cooperation units And a wonderful award for the initiated by Harald zur Hausen DKFZ, too. The prize is a credit to in the early 1990s are a step in us all.” And an honor the DKFZ this direction since they help must continue to live up to. bridge the gap between re- search and clinical practice; one “We have a special tradition clinician is placed in charge of and a special responsibility,” both a DKFZ research unit and says Wiestler. The responsibil- a hospital ward. Then, in 2004, ity addresses first and foremost the National Center for Tumor people who have cancer. Can- Diseases Heidelberg (NCT) was cer diagnosis and therapy have founded, and will move into improved considerably, but the its new building at the begin- Prof. Dr. Otmar D. Wiestler, Chairman and Scientific Direc- fact is that one in two cancer ning of 2010. Modeled on the tor of the German Cancer Research Center patients still cannot be treated American Comprehensive Can- successfully and eventually suc- cer Center, the new NCT com- cumb to the disease. “We are in plex will bring together cancer urgent need of new therapies,” researchers and cancer special- explains Wiestler, who regards ists to care for patients under being part of this effort as one one roof. Rapid translation of of the DKFZ’s most important research findings into practice, tasks. The prospects for success says Wiestler, also requires close are certainly promising. In the cooperation with partners from 3 The Applied Tumor Virology building where Harald zur Hausen can be found in his office almost every day industry. The DKFZ has there- foundation for all future clinical fore formed strategic alliances developments. Basic research in with partners such as Siemens cell biology is receiving special in medical technology and attention thanks to the alli- Bayer Schering Pharma in drug ance with the DKFZ’s neighbor, development. the Center for Molecular Biol- ogy Heidelberg. Wiestler also Another important goal, accord- underscores the importance ing to Wiestler, is the improve- of programs to nurture young ment of early detection and pre- scientists. The Theodor Boveri vention. “The earlier cancer is Program for the advancement detected,” says Wiestler, who is of young scientists, for exam- himself a physician, “the better ple, was created by Harald zur the chances of a cure.” Greater Hausen himself to give them emphasis is therefore being the opportunity to work inde- placed on research into preven- pendently and establish their tion and risk factors to stop can- own research groups early on cer from developing in the first (see pages 18–21). The DKFZ now place. Vaccination against cervi- has twenty such junior research cal cancer is a unique example groups. “The institution has an of this. The new Preventive On- outstanding reputation,” says cology unit at the NCT reflects Wiestler, adding that “excel- the importance of this area. lent young scientists are eager to work here – and we do all Not that basic research should we can to offer them the be neglected, says Wiestler, very best condi- who is anxious to stress the tions.” importance of its role as the The new NCT building is due to be completed by the end of 2009.