Title: Cancer Biology: Getting Down to Basics with Bob Weinburg

Date: May 23, 2017

Publisher: Medpage Today

Author: Eric T. Rosenthal

Summary: The man who discovered the first human oncogene and the first tumor

suppressor gene, Bob Weinburg, found a deep interest in mechanical things. He realized

high school classes such as woodshop and mechanical drawing assisted him in

overcoming biological issues. He received his doctorate degree from MIT, and then

worked as a research associate. As he worked as an associate, he was familiarized with

retroviruses. He soon discovered normal cells could become cancerous through gene

transfer, which led to his conclusion that cancer is a genetic disease. Today, he is truly

concerned about the future of biomedical research in the United States due to the lack of

foreign-born researchers. He believes they are critically important to the biology field.