MB Civic

I got my PhD in Ralph’s lab from 1990-95. He was my thesis advisor and teacher. I feel incredibly lucky. And since then, I have been known as his ‘scientific son’ in the biomedical research community.

Ralph was regarded as a crackpot by most immunologists for a few decades, but he built his case patiently, based on something unusual he personally observed under the microscope. He then pursued that first paradox – something there that shouldn’t be, with persistence, courage and faith. Eventually he was proven right. His once-radical work is now accepted and built upon by many others. After 40 years or so, he wound up getting recognized with the ultimate science prize, the Nobel.

However, Ralph was not the only one in that long saga with courage and faith. It’s a group effort. Still, one brave and faithful figure was pivotal, and none of it would have happened without him….

During his long, struggling ‘crackpot period’, Ralph was faithfully supported by his own mentor and ‘scientific father’, Zan Cohn.

That’s the way it is in science: it’s a heritage passed from generation to generation. May we all have faith that the ideals we share will be handed down in a similar way….