Renowned Singapore-based cancer geneticists Neal Copeland, Ph.D., and Nancy Jenkins, Ph.D., who are among the top 50 most-cited biomedical scientists in the world today, have been elected into the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Dr. Copeland, Executive Director of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) of Singapore's A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), was elected to NAS this year. NAS elected Dr. Jenkins, Deputy Director of IMCB's Genetics and Genomics Division, in 2008. Their membership takes effect this year.
Drs. Copeland and Jenkins, who have co-authored over 750 papers and been cited over 30,000 times, have worked together for 30 years since they met as postdoctoral follows in Harvard Medical School.
Prior to joining IMCB in 2006, Drs. Copeland and Jenkins were scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He headed NCI's molecular genetics of oncogenesis section and was director of the mouse cancer genetics program, while she headed the molecular genetics of development section.
Since joining A*STAR, they have set up and now jointly run IMCB's cancer genetics laboratory and have been working on new ways of analyzing the cancer genome, by characterizing the genetic changes required to promote or sustain tumor formation.
In their research to induce different types of human cancer in mice, their IMCB group has recently discovered ways of manipulating the genetic structure of "Sleeping Beauty," a mutagenic transposon, a sequence of DNA that can move around to different positions within the genome of a single cell. In moving around, a transposon can cause mutations and change the amount of DNA in the genome.
In addition, Drs. Copeland and Jenkins' group plans 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 better understand and devise more effective treatment strategies for various forms of cancer.
A*STAR Chairman Lim Chuan Poh said, "Neal and Nancy are two of the most outstanding cancer geneticists in the world, and their election to the National 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."
Dr. Copeland said, "This is a true honor 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."
Dr. Jenkins said, "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 honors that can be accorded a scientist or engineer in the USA. We look forward to making more exciting and impactful discoveries together."
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Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB):
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.
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR):
A*STAR is Singapore's lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based Singapore. A*STAR actively nurtures public sector research and development in Biomedical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, with a particular focus on fields essential to Singapore's manufacturing industry and new growth industries. It oversees 22 research institutes, consortia and centres, and supports extramural research with the universities, hospital research centres and other local and international partners. At the heart of this knowledge intensive work is human capital. Top local and international scientific talent drive knowledge creation at A*STAR research institutes. The agency also sends scholars for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral training in the best universities, a reflection of the high priority A*STAR places on nurturing the next generation of scientific talent. For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
NEAL COPELAND, PH.D.:
Dr. Copeland received his Ph.D. at the University of Utah. Following post-doctoral training at the Dana Farber Cancer Centre at Harvard Medical School, he moved in 1980 to the Jackson Laboratory as an Associate Staff Scientist. In 1985, he took up the position of Director of the Cancer Genetics Programme at the National Cancer Institute at Frederick (NCI-Frederick). He and his wife, Nancy Jenkins, Ph.D., spent the next 20 years at NCI-Frederick, making their name using mouse genetics to better define the genes and signalling pathways responsible for cancer.
Dr. Copeland has served on numerous scientific advisory boards such as those of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the McLaughlin Research Institute in Montana, and consulted for several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, he serves on several editorial boards and since 1996 has been an associate editor of Cell. He has been invited to give many distinguished lectures, including the Harvey Lecture at Rockefeller University and the G. Burroughs Mider Lecture at the National Institutes of Health.
With a career spanning more than 30 years of research work in leading laboratories in the USA, Dr. Copeland moved to A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in 2006 along with Dr. Jenkins. At IMCB, they set up the Cancer Genetics laboratory together. Appointed Executive Director of IMCB in 2007, he proceeded to build on its strong foundation of scientific research capabilities. Today IMCB has over 400 research staff in 40 laboratories in various areas of basic biomedical research, including cell and developmental biology, cancer genetics, cell signalling, cell death, cell motility and protein trafficking.
NANCY JENKINS, PH.D:
Dr. Jenkins received her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from Indiana University in 1977. Following post-doctoral training at the Dana Farber Cancer Centre at Harvard Medical School, she moved to the Jackson Laboratory as an Associate Staff Scientist in 1980. In 1985, she took up the position of Head of the Section of Molecular Genetics of Development at the NCI at Frederick (NCI-Frederick. She and her husband, Neal Copeland Ph.D., spent the next 20 years at NCI-Frederick, making their name using mouse genetics to better define the genes and signalling pathways responsible for cancer.
Dr. Jenkins has served on numerous scientific advisory boards, including those of the Institute of Molecular Bioscience of the University of Queensland and the McLaughlin Research Institute. She also is a member of the editorial boards of scientific journals such as Mammalian Genome and Microbial and Comparative Genomics, and has been an Associate Editor for top journals Genetics and Genomics. In addition, she is a member of American Genetic Association and the Genetics Society of America, and lectures regularly at the International Mouse Genome Conference, as well as at conferences held by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
After more than 30 years of research work in the US, Dr. Jenkins moved to A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in 2006, along with Dr. Copeland. The pair was instrumental in setting up IMCB's Cancer Genetics laboratory, and has seen promising results in their research on colon cancer. Since 2007, she has been Deputy Director of the Cancer Genetics division at IMCB, and has been helping to chart the direction of basic cancer research there.