Press Releases

A*STAR SCIENTISTS ELECTED INTO PRESTIGIOUS US NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

1.         Renowned cancer geneticists, Professor Neal Copeland, Executive Director of A*STAR’s Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology (IMCB), and Professor Nancy Jenkins, Deputy Director of the Genetics and Genomics Division at IMCB, have accepted their election into the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in the United States this year for their outstanding contributions to genetic research[1]. 

 

2.        This is a huge honour given that the National Academy of Sciences is an honorific society of scientists, doctors and engineers which has advised the United States government on scientific, medical and technological issues since 1863. An exclusive group of only 2,150 active members, the National Academy of Sciences boasts some 200 Nobel Prize laureates to date. 

 

3.         Profs Copeland and Jenkins have worked together for 30 years since they met as postdoctoral follows in Harvard Medical School. They jointly published over 700 papers before joining IMCB in 2006, where they set up and now jointly run the Cancer Genetics laboratory. Prior to IMCB, Profs Copeland and Jenkins worked at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick[2], where Neal was the head of the Molecular Genetics of Oncogenesis Section and the Director of the Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, while Nancy served as the head of the Molecular Genetics of Development Section. 

 

4.         Since they joined A*STAR, the pair have been working on new ways of analysing the cancer genome, or characterising the genetic changes required to promote or sustain tumour formation.  Their group at IMCB has recently discovered ways of manipulating the genetic structure of the mutagenic transposon[3], Sleeping Beauty, to induce different types of human cancer in mice.  In addition, the group is looking to use another whimsically named transposon, PiggyBac, to model cancer in mice and potentially, zebrafish.  With these cancer models, as well as recent advancements in cloning and sequencing technologies, they hope to garner a better understanding of, and devise, more effective treatment strategies for the various existing forms of cancer.

 

5.         Said Chairman of A*STAR, Mr Lim Chuan Poh, “Neal and Nancy are two of the most outstanding cancer geneticists in the world and their election to the Academy of Sciences is a fitting recognition of their excellent and impactful work. I would like to congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition. A*STAR is happy that both Neal and Nancy are committed to inspire and mentor our own crop of young scientists seeking to make their own mark in the world of science and to make a difference to society.”

 

6.         Said Prof Copeland, “This is a true honour for us both. Nancy and I function very much as a team, and we owe our success in the laboratory to each other. We are extremely happy to have been elected, and excited to be helping IMCB build up its capabilities and train its future generation of scientists to be at the forefront of science research.”

 

7.         Added Prof Jenkins, “Through the years Neal and I have had a rich and very fulfilling journey in science and in life, and we are especially glad to be sharing one of the highest honours that can be accorded a scientist or engineer in the USA.  We look forward to making more exciting and impactful discoveries together.”

 

 

 

The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) is a member of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and is funded through A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). It is a world-class research institute that focuses its activities on six major fields: Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Structural Biology, Infectious Diseases, Cancer Biology and Translational Research, with core strengths in cell cycling, cell signalling, cell death, cell motility and protein trafficking. Its recent achievements include leading an international consortium that successfully sequenced the entire pufferfish (Fugu) genome. The IMCB was awarded the Nikkei Prize 2000 for Technological Innovation in recognition of its growth into a leading international research centre and its collaboration with industry and research institutes worldwide. Established in 1987, the Institute currently has 35 independent research groups with more than 400 staff members.

 

For more information about IMCB, please visit www.imcb.a-star.edu.sg.

 

 

 

 

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[1] Prof Jenkins was elected to the Academy in 2008, and Prof Copeland in 2009. Their membership takes effect this year upon their acceptance.

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