Interview With Suzanne Pfeffer
By: Joshua Desaire-Bruton
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA,
Oct. 31 2013
Introduction: Suzanne Pfeffer is a biomedical researcher at the stanford cancer institute. Her current work involves research on how cells are able to send different proteins to the correct places in the body. She studies how this can affect cancer growth when such proteins are handled incorrectly and cause the cells to mutate into cancerous tumors. I recently interviewed her about the work in her field.
By: Joshua Desaire-Bruton
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA,
Oct. 31 2013
Introduction: Suzanne Pfeffer is a biomedical researcher at the stanford cancer institute. Her current work involves research on how cells are able to send different proteins to the correct places in the body. She studies how this can affect cancer growth when such proteins are handled incorrectly and cause the cells to mutate into cancerous tumors. I recently interviewed her about the work in her field.
Josh Desaire-Bruton: What is your position, organization/laboratory/hospital?
Dr. Suzanne Pfeffer: Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine
JD: How did you come to research cancer?
SP: We study how cells put proteins in the right place. This was the subject of this year's Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and is important for hormone secretion and hormone signaling. We know that when signaling proteins are not moved to the right compartment in cells, they signal cells to grow more than they should, and that can cause cancer. I am interested in understanding how molecules help us be human beings--able to think, move, feel etc. Of course we would like to know what goes wrong in all diseases, including cancer. Our hope is that this fundamental understanding will lead to better treatments and some day, cures.
JD: Can you tell me a little about your current work and its implications?
SP: You may not realize that most biomedical research in the US is funded by all taxpayers and by the federal government through the National Institutes of Health, a part of the Division of Health and Human Services. When there was a government shut-down, it hurt researchers because many grants were not paid. The sequester that we are currently under is hurting all scientists across the country. No one likes to pay taxes but taxes do important things such as fund research to cure disease and help all of us.
JD: I am interested in what your life is like as a researcher/clinician on a day to day basis. Is there something that you would like to share with the general public or community that cares about prevention, therapies and cures for the disease?
SP: Scientists devote their lives to understanding how our bodies work. That means I was in the lab on Saturday and Sunday, this past weekend, to complete a grant proposal. But science is not a "job"; it is a vocation and I love what I do and what my position enables me to do. Scientists are regular people too--with families and hobbies. In my free time, I like to play tennis and to cook for friends.
JD: And lastly, as part of the 11th grade project we are completing we will be creating an art piece in studio art that I hope can serve to represent a piece of your work.
SP: Here is a picture from one of our papers--it is part of the Golgi complex and we think it is very beautiful. It is from one of our publications
The Golgi is the major processing station for all proteins that are secreted from cells and 30% of all proteins that are encoded in your genome. My lab would like to understand how this beautiful structure works. Shown in green are spots where small vesicles are forming from the Golgi. Shown in red are regions where vesicles will arrive at the Golgi. In blue is DNA in the nucleus of the cell. This experiment showed that the export route was in a different location from the import route.
Dr. Suzanne Pfeffer: Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine
JD: How did you come to research cancer?
SP: We study how cells put proteins in the right place. This was the subject of this year's Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and is important for hormone secretion and hormone signaling. We know that when signaling proteins are not moved to the right compartment in cells, they signal cells to grow more than they should, and that can cause cancer. I am interested in understanding how molecules help us be human beings--able to think, move, feel etc. Of course we would like to know what goes wrong in all diseases, including cancer. Our hope is that this fundamental understanding will lead to better treatments and some day, cures.
JD: Can you tell me a little about your current work and its implications?
SP: You may not realize that most biomedical research in the US is funded by all taxpayers and by the federal government through the National Institutes of Health, a part of the Division of Health and Human Services. When there was a government shut-down, it hurt researchers because many grants were not paid. The sequester that we are currently under is hurting all scientists across the country. No one likes to pay taxes but taxes do important things such as fund research to cure disease and help all of us.
JD: I am interested in what your life is like as a researcher/clinician on a day to day basis. Is there something that you would like to share with the general public or community that cares about prevention, therapies and cures for the disease?
SP: Scientists devote their lives to understanding how our bodies work. That means I was in the lab on Saturday and Sunday, this past weekend, to complete a grant proposal. But science is not a "job"; it is a vocation and I love what I do and what my position enables me to do. Scientists are regular people too--with families and hobbies. In my free time, I like to play tennis and to cook for friends.
JD: And lastly, as part of the 11th grade project we are completing we will be creating an art piece in studio art that I hope can serve to represent a piece of your work.
SP: Here is a picture from one of our papers--it is part of the Golgi complex and we think it is very beautiful. It is from one of our publications
The Golgi is the major processing station for all proteins that are secreted from cells and 30% of all proteins that are encoded in your genome. My lab would like to understand how this beautiful structure works. Shown in green are spots where small vesicles are forming from the Golgi. Shown in red are regions where vesicles will arrive at the Golgi. In blue is DNA in the nucleus of the cell. This experiment showed that the export route was in a different location from the import route.