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David Tuveson, Director of the Cancer Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, is a clinician-scientist with a longstanding interest in understanding and treating pancreatic cancer. Since developing the first mouse model of pancreatic cancer in 2002, the Tuveson lab has made a series of discoveries that shed light on the molecular drivers of this disease and provide promising therapeutic avenues for a malignancy that is notoriously challenging to treat. In collaboration with Hans Clevers, David developed the first pancreatic cancer organoids, which revolutionized the field by providing a powerful model system for basic discoveries and advancement of personalized medicine. Here, David talks to Ross Cagan about his path from chemistry student to world-renowned oncologist, highlighting how his colleagues, mentors and patient interactions shaped his research interests and unique approach to scientific discovery. As well as discussing the story behind some of his breakthroughs, he provides tips on running a lab and succeeding in or outside academia., Summary: David Tuveson describes some of the key moments and breakthroughs in his remarkable career, and the path that he's followed in his quest for a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Louis Kunkel has devoted his career to understanding the causes, mechanisms and treatment of muscular dystrophies. Dr Kunkel is the past Director of the Genomics Program at Boston Children's Hospital and Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In this interview, he talks about his discovery of dystrophin, including patients in preclinical research, and bearded irises.

Harold Varmus has made pioneering contributions to our understanding of cancer as a genetic disease. The discovery of the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes earned him and his long-term collaborator, Michael Bishop, the Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Sciences in 1982 and the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1989. Throughout his career, Varmus has held several leadership roles that shaped science policy in the US and worldwide, and he has been an outspoken advocate for open science. In this interview, he talks (among other things) about the factors that shaped his early career choices, the thrill of scientific discovery, and the importance of including diverse populations in genomic studies of cancer and other diseases.

Huda Zoghbi's achievements in the field of neurology are internationally acclaimed. She is best known for elucidating the genetic basis of two complex neurological disorders, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and Rett syndrome, and has been honored with many prizes, including The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine in 2016 and the 2017 Breakthrough Prize for Life Sciences. A diligent and creative research scientist at the bench, a respected lab mentor and founding Director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, her inspiration has always been the burning need to help patients faced with devastating neurological problems. Her pursuit of the mechanisms mediating spinocerebellar ataxia and Rett syndrome has been dogged, requiring 30 years of focused effort. As highlighted in this interview, her work is now paying dividends by starting to reveal potential therapeutic targets for these intractable and complex disorders., Summary: Huda Zoghbi discusses her remarkable journey from the clinic to the bench, highlighting the experiences and collaborations that inspired her interest in neurological diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) and Rett syndrome.

Luke O'Neill is professor of biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, and his main research focus is innate immunity and its key output, inflammation. His work has explored the key sensors and mediators of infection, including the Toll-like receptors, inflammasomes and cytokines in the interleukin-1 (IL-1) family. Luke received the Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal for Life Sciences in 2012 and the European Federation of Immunology Societies Medal in 2014. He was elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) in 2005 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2016. In this interview, Luke talks about the necessary collaboration between immunologists and cancer scientists, inflammaging, and his rock-star alter-ego as frontman of The Metabollix.

Karen Vousden is an internationally renowned cancer scientist whose contributions to solving the p53 puzzle are changing the way we think about this important tumour suppressor. She has been honoured with many prizes and elected memberships throughout her career, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010 and Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences in May 2018. Karen is an approachable and diligent scientist, a respected mentor and an inspirational role model. She is currently a group leader at the Francis Crick Institute in London and Chief Scientist at Cancer Research UK (CRUK). In this interview, Karen talks about the mentors that inspired her, the discoveries that brought about her interest in cancer metabolism, and her interests outside the lab. Karen Vousden's research focuses on the many functions of p53 in cancer and beyond. Her scientific journey in the field of genetics started with undergraduate and graduate work on transfer RNA (tRNA) suppression with Lorna Casselton at the University of London, UK. She studied Ras and viral oncogenes during her postdoctoral training with Christopher Marshall and Douglas Lowy. The interactions between viral oncogenes and mammalian tumour suppressors drew her into the field of p53. Her group (in parallel with others) discovered the p53 targets PUMA and TIGAR, the latter of which spurred her interest in cancer metabolism.

Professor Steve O’Rahilly is one of the UK’s most renowned clinical researchers. He made his reputation by combining clinical practice with scientific and clinical studies focused on understanding the causes and consequences of obesity and insulin resistance. Here, he talks about his research philosophy, and his wider role as a spokesman for obesity research.