| Citation | J. Michael Bishop is a biologist who has made fundamental and far-reaching discoveries about the origins of cancer. Together with Harold Varmus, he discovered that the transforming gene of the Rous Sarcoma Virus ( known as v - src ) was derived from a normal cellular gene ( c - src ), the only differences being in mutations that led to abnormal or constitutive activation of the viral oncogene. This work was reconised by the award of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1989. Subsequently, Bishop and his colleagues studied the myc oncogene, whose expression they ingeniously regulated by fusion with a steroid binding protein, enabling rather precise modelling of particular tumours in mice, many of which reflect human tumours. Apart from his distinguished research career, Bishop has been a tireless crusader for the importance of basic research for the understanding and treatment of human disease. He made important contributions to the expansion of the budget of the US National Insitutes of Health by his lobbying activity ( together with his UCSF colleagues, Bruce Alberts, Marc Kirschner and Harold Varmus ) during the Clinton administration, and is a highly valued advisor on numerous scientific advisory boards, including those in Europe. He currently holds the post of Chancellor of the University of California at San Francisco. |