雅美之途
教育，人文，社會
你們說Genentech的華裔SVP (Senior Vice President) Andy Chan有多麽牛？Ken Murphy的免疫學權威教科書專門花了至少七頁，講述他在UCSF的Arthur Weiss實驗室發現的ZAP-70。如果涉及ZAP-70的其他功能和BLNK, 教科書裏Andy的貢獻至少需要十幾頁才能描述清楚。
當時阿肯森作為大內科主任將學生Andy招到華大做教授，並且向Howard Hughes推薦他成為HHMI研究員。阿肯森當時的影響力如日中天，學生也爭氣。
記得阿肯森在Andy的十樓報告廳的求職學術報告的中途才入會場，因為做整個醫學院最大係的主任很忙。他總要為自己學生鼓勁便問到：“Andy, 那個ZAP-70裏的ZAP是什麽意思？”。這是相當明顯的明知故問，在學術報告中問你問題表示友好，以及對你所做的東西感興趣。
阿肯森教授夫婦和他的得意弟子Andy Chan，照片來自網絡。
這些都成為免疫學博士生或醫學生應該掌握的知識，Andy Chan還在華大發現了ZAP-70缺陷的病人。ZAP-70是與T細胞受體Zeta鏈相關的激酶，它能夠磷酸化adaptor蛋白LAT和SLP-76, 在T細胞的信號傳導中起重要作用。
補體受體CD21是B細胞複合受體的組成部分，ZAP-70不參與B細胞受體的信號傳導，但是Andy Chan在我們十樓發現了B細胞信號傳導的adaptor蛋白BLNK。這樣使得Andy成為在T和B細胞的信號傳導機製中，都做出過傑出貢獻的免疫學家。
作為一個形象的對比，做出如此重大發現的科學家，他連美國的院士都不是。Andy在華大以難以置信的四年時間從助理教授晉升為副教授，我們實在留不住他，外麵的世界競相挖他。所以我說的中國院士的平均水平趕不上華大優秀的助理教授仍然適用。
聖路易斯華大最近在Founders Day表彰Andy Chan：“This award recognizes outstanding professional achievement, public service, and exceptional service to Washington University”。
這裏除了學術成就，還涉及他對華大的貢獻，他永遠不忘記為華大解開錢貸子。Andy做的兩件事值得我們學習：他沿襲華人尊重導師的傳統。其次，他學到美國人奏獻社會的文化，他捐巨款給教育自己的母校。在阿肯森慢長學術人生中，培養的博士不足十人，似乎隻要有一個Andy Chan這樣的帥才，人生就足矣。
看見那個小紅標簽了嗎？那頁含有一個堪薩斯大學畢業生的華大教授的介紹，阿肯森特別提到這位母校的畢業生，所以大家不要奇怪我經常提及同濟母校。
這是華大在Founders day給Andy Chan的評價，我提醒阿肯森裏麵使用了他的中文名。阿肯森隨口念出，但是我們都不知道什麽意思。說不定ChatGPT猜對了他的中文姓名為“陳誌遠”，中文來自ChatGPT翻譯官，我略作修改：
“Andrew Chee-Yuen Chan, MD, is a pioneering researcher in immunology with an impressive track record at translating science in the laboratory to innovative therapies. He has contributed to breakthrough discoveries in autoimmunity and cancer immunotherapy and is a leading implementer of precision medicine strategies. Chan also co-invented a drug that has profoundly affected the treatment of multiple sclerosis.”
“陳誌遠博士（Andrew Chee-Yuen Chan, MD）是免疫學領域的先驅研究者，他在將實驗室科學成果轉化為創新療法方麵取得了令人矚目的業績。他在自身免疫性疾病和癌症免疫療法方麵的突破性發現，以及在精準醫學策略的實施方麵都有所貢獻。陳博士還共同發明了一種藥物，深刻影響了多發性硬化症的治療“
“Over the past decade. Chan has overseen biological research at Genentech, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company that advances drug discovery for life-threatening diseases. He also serves as an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Prior to joining Genentech, Chan led an illustrious academic career at Washington University, where he was an associate investgator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and an associate professor of internal medicine and of pathology.”
“在過去的十年中，陳博士一直在舊金山的Genentech公司負責生物學研究，該公司致力於推動治療致命性疾病的藥物發現。他還擔任加利福尼亞大學舊金山分校醫學係的兼職副教授。在加入Genentech之前，陳博士在華盛頓大學度過了輝煌的學術生涯，成為霍華德·休斯醫學研究所的副研究員以及內科和病理學係的副教授”
“Chan stands out as a dedicated mentor to future generations of physician-scientists, earning WashU's Special Recognition Award for Mentoring Graduate Students in 2000. Since 2016, he has served on the School of Medicine National Council. He also is involved with the Arthritis Foundation, holding positions on its national advisory board and workforce development committees, among other roles.”
“陳博士是未來一代醫學科學家的專業導師，曾於2000年獲得聖路易斯華盛頓大學頒發的“研究生導師特別成就獎”。自2016年以來，他一直是該校醫學院國家理事會的成員。此外，他還參與了關節炎基金會，擔任其國家谘詢委員會和人力發展部門的委員等多個職務”
“Chan earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in chemistry from Northwestern University and went on to study cellular and developmental biology at WashU’s School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and his rheumatology fellowship training at the University of California San Francisco.”
“陳博士在西北大學獲得了化學學士和碩士學位，並在聖路易斯華盛頓大學醫學院攻讀了細胞與發育生物學專業。他在巴恩斯-猶太醫院完成了內科住院醫師培訓，並在加利福尼亞大學舊金山分校完成了風濕病專業的專科培訓”。
“Chan has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus by all three of his alma maters and has received numerous honors from professional organizations in medicine. These include election to the American Association of Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and several awards from the Arthritis Foundation, including the 2021 Lee Howley Sr. Prize and the 2012 Guin Warnock Award. In 2013, Chan received the Chairman's Award of Distinction from the American Federation for Aging Research.”
“陳博士被他的三所母校認定為傑出校友，並且在不同醫學專業組織中獲得了多項榮譽。這些榮譽包括當選為美國醫學協會和美國臨床研究協會的會員，以及關節炎基金會頒發的多個獎項，包括2021年的李·豪利高級獎和2012年的吉恩·沃諾克獎。2013年，陳博士獲得了美國老年研究聯合會的主席卓越獎”。
“Andy was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Southern California at age 7. As a third grader, learning a new language was challenging. The laws of nature made far more sense than the rules of grammar, so Andy naturally drifted toward math and science. Solving problems required structure and strategy – both of which he had a knack for.
“Science was interesting because it provided the ability to solve things mechanistically. How are you going to make a compound with a particular chemical group? How do you get from A to Z?”
Andy says he didn’t so much decide to study science as follow the data. Science made sense, so it was going to be a part of his life – a perfect reflection of his analytical mind.”
https://www.gene.com/stories/pure-science