I recently visited the UK for the first time in many years, to discuss future joint research with a DNA sequencing company based in Oxford. I toured both their manufacturing and research facilities, and had stimulating discussions with many research leaders. They also introduced some of the technologies under development, and it was exciting to realize that we are heading in the same direction. While I am usually preoccupied with budget concerns, scientific discussions are truly enjoyable.
As soon as the first day’s meetings ended, I headed into central Oxford. The visit brought back memories, as I had been there 35 years ago for the Human Gene Mapping 10.5: Oxford Conference (1990): Update to the Tenth International Workshop on Human Gene Mapping. I no longer remember which college I stayed in, but I do remember spending several days on the Oxford campus with researchers who would later lead the field of genomics. Among them was Dr. Francis Collins. In the evenings, many researchers would gather in pubs, sharing our dreams for the future.
1990 was also the year the International Human Genome Project was launched, and the atmosphere was full of excitement. Yet at that time, simply determining on which chromosome and in what region a gene was located was already a major undertaking. To my knowledge, the Human Gene Mapping workshops had been held in New Haven (1973, USA), Rotterdam (1974, the Netherlands), Baltimore (1975, USA), Winnipeg (1977, Canada), Oslo (1981, Norway), Los Angeles (1983, USA), Helsinki (1985, Finland), Paris (1987, France), New Haven again (1989), and London (1991, UK). Bringing researchers together from around the world in this way to get to know and inspire one another was tremendously important. True human connections cannot be built through online conferences alone.
I joined from the 1987 Paris meeting onward, and since I had reported many DNA polymorphic markers at the time, many researchers—even those I met for the first time—came up to speak with me. Networks forged through these meetings eventually led to the International Human Genome Project in 1990. Naturally, the ultimate goal was not merely to map the positions of genes, but to identify disease-related genes. I still remember Dr. Janet Rowley of the University of Chicago, a towering figure in leukemia translocation research, encouraging me with the words, “You’re doing well.” A few words from a giant in the field can be deeply motivating.
The next day, I spent about an hour talking with the company’s CEO, which reminded me once again of the importance of leaders who have a clear vision. By contrast, in Japan watching short-sighted figures steer science brings to mind people like President Trump and Health Secretary Kennedy. In the afternoon, I visited the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology, where I was asked, “Japan and the UK have signed an agreement on genomic medicine, but there has been no progress. What should we do?” There was little I could offer in response, but I shared my personal views (the details are best left unsaid, though I often vent about such issues on this blog).
Finally, I said: “The UK-Japanese Alliance signed in 1902 played a key role in Japan’s great victory in the Russia-Japan War. Let us work together under a new alliance in genomic medicine to save patients’ lives.” With that, I took my leave. But an announcement was made instructing us not to exit through the main entrance due to anti-Trump demonstrations, so I left through a back door instead. At that moment, I truly felt like James Bond. Outside, the demonstration had not yet arrived, but the streets were filled with police officers.
