People

A legacy is one of the grand aspirations in science. Whether it means giving knowledge or advancing the field, every scientist dreams of imparting a meaningful impact in some way. For Bruce Shapiro, Ph.D., NCI at Frederick’s newest scientist emeritus, the dream is a reality. The former senior investigator and section head in the RNA Biology Laboratory of the Center for Cancer Research has officially retired after more than 46 years at the National Institutes of Health. His musings on his career are humble, but his accomplishments are unmistakable.

Our introductions continue and conclude this week. These staff are the core editorial team—the writers, editors, and advisers who produce a variety of articles and oversee the administrative functions of Poster. Whether they’re in the office or working remotely, they’re available to cover the research, operations, events, and people of NCI at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory. Read on to meet them.

As we begin the 2022 fiscal year and prepare to enter calendar year 2022, we on the editorial team want to take a moment to introduce ourselves to you. First up are our contributing writers, staff in program areas around our institutions who pitch ideas and cover topics related to those groups. Read on to meet them.

Pockets of the NCI at Frederick campus have popped with color the past few months. Staff working on-site may have noticed landscaped flowerbeds boasting arrays of annuals and files of ferns as they passed by larger buildings. The plants were installed thanks to the Campus Improvement Committee, a small group passionate about making a big impact.

Their study started to unravel the riddle of how cancers spread, demonstrating that tumors are comprised of different types of cells, or heterogeneous. Up to this point it was thought that cancer cells in a tumor were identical to each other. The work conducted by husband-and-wife Isaiah (Josh) Fidler, D.V.M., Ph.D., and Margaret Kripke, Ph.D., in Frederick would eventually be recognized as a landmark discovery that redefined the scientific understanding of tumor biology.

Behind the scenes in Frederick National Laboratory’s Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media department, illustrator Joe Meyer is making scientists’ cover dreams come true. While he’s professionally worked on illustrations for over two decades, about a third of that time focused on scientific images, Meyer has also worked on around 35 cover image designs over the last several years.

More than 20 of those designs have been selected as cover images. Meyer’s cover designs have been featured in various publications, including Cell Chemical Biology, Chemical Science, and Nature Chemical Biology.

George Vande Woude, Ph.D., former director of the Advanced Bioscience Laboratories–Basic Research Program at what is now NCI at Frederick, passed away in April. He was known for being a prudent leader and an outstanding scientist (he and his laboratory discovered the MET oncogene in 1984), as well as for his vibrant personality and seemingly limitless energy.

The CCR community is profoundly saddened by the recent passing of George Vande Woude, Ph.D., longtime National Cancer Institute (NCI) colleague, former director of the Advanced Bioscience Laboratories (ABL)-Basic Research Program and former director of the Division of Basic Sciences at NCI. George made many important contributions to the current understanding of the molecular biology of cancer.

For foreign fellows transitioning to life in the United States, NCI at Frederick employees are an integral resource. As citizens or residents of the country and the Frederick community, they represent valuable sources of information, emotional support, and scientific guidance. It’s true that the training staff fill many of these roles, but all staff can play a part in welcoming and helping foreign fellows. To help employees and principal investigators who work with new foreign fellows, current NCI at Frederick fellows and staff have offered the following tips.

Moving to a new place can be difficult, especially for young scientists coming to the U.S. for fellowships. There are the usual challenges of long-distance travel, adjusting to a new locale, and—in some cases—becoming proficient in another language. On top of that, there’s the added pressure to settle in and begin working as soon as possible. To help incoming and recently arrived fellows, current NCI at Frederick fellows and staff have offered the following advice.