In Memoriam: Myriam Sarachik

Myriam Sarachik passed away on October 7, 2021. Her work on the Kondo effect, the metal-insulator transition, and quantum tunneling in molecular magnets are highlights in her research career. But her lifetime of first-rate work was realized in the face of great adversity. She was a totem of not only scientific excellence, but also of the perseverance of the human spirit.

Lymphoma versus Carcinoma and Other Collaborations

David Mason started his research career at a time when lymphoma diagnosis was based primarily on cellular morphology, clinical symptoms and special cytochemical stains using formalin fixed tissue sections. There were occasions, however, where the morphology was unhelpful, such as in the case of anaplastic or poorly differentiated tumours, where a distinction between lymphoma and a non-haematopoietic tumour was often problematical. Accurate diagnosis became even more important with the developments in the clinical staging of lymphoma and the availability of more effective treatments. One way forward to improve diagnosis was to use immunohistochemistry to study the antigens expressed by the tumor cells.

Thomas Arthur Steitz. 23 August 1940—9 October 2018

Thomas A. Steitz was among the foremost of the generation that was responsible for an explosion in our understanding of the structure and function of biological macromolecules. His research career was one of sustained excellence over six decades, and spanned the range from determining the structures of important metabolic enzymes to understanding the structural basis of how genetic information residing in our DNA is used to make the proteins they encode. This latter effort culminated in the structure of the ribosome, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.

High Voltage of the City: The Development of Siberian Historical Urban Studies in the Works of an Irkutsk Historian (to the 70th Anniversary of the Birth of Professor Vadim Shakherov)

The article provides the analysis of the main stages in the research career of the famous historian, urbanist and expert in the history of Siberian entrepreneurship, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor V. Shakherov. The evolution of the scholar’s scientific interests is highlighted in the text. The author outlines the main areas of the scientist’s research: studying the role of the city in building economic and socio-cultural environment of Siberia in the period from the 18th to the early 20th century, history of merchant class and entrepreneurship in pre-revolutionary Siberia, history of banking and credit system of the region, historic and cultural monuments of Siberia. The article presents the analysis of Shakherov’s major works, which reflect his contribution to the development of Siberian studies. Special attention is paid to his scientific, pedagogical and social activity aimed at preserving historical heritage of Irkutsk. The author of the article emphasizes that the research career of V. Shakherov and History Faculty of Irkutsk State University are tightly connected.

Influence of Research Continuity on Physician-Scientists’ Career Success

Objective:To determine if maintaining continuity in research topic and method from early to late career yields a greater likelihood of physician-scientists’ research-career success i.e. achieving research independence and producing impactful publications.Methods:To explore the impact of maintaining continuity in research, 108 2000-2010 neurology residency graduates from former Medical Scientist Training Programs at the highest NINDS and NIH funded institutions were identified. Through comparison of Ph.D. dissertations with post-graduate work, research continuity was deemed present if there was evidence of continuity in research topic and method. With publicly available SCOPUS, PubMed, and NIH RePORT data, the correlation that degree of continuity had with h-indices, number of grants awarded, and R01 acquisition was examined.Results:Nearly half of the graduates were classified as non-continuous (45%), less than a quarter classified as somewhat continuous (22%), and roughly a third classified as very continuous (32%). The data demonstrated that research continuity increased the ability to acquire a R01, with 83% percent of R01 and/or R21 recipients having very continuous research. Very continuous graduates also had higher median number of grants received (2 [IQR: 1-3]) and a higher median h-index (17 [IQR: 10.5-20]) compared to the somewhat continuous and non-continuous groups.Conclusions:This study highlights research continuity as an important and modifiable variable during the training period of physician-scientists and one that may improve their career success and promote greater retention within the workforce.