Honorary PhD in Translational Medicine

On 13 May 2019, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies conferred an honorary PhD in Translational Medicine on Sir John Bertrand Gurdon, professor at the University of Cambridge and winner, together with Shinya Yamanaka, of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for discovering that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. The keynote lecture entitled ‘Past, Present and Future of Nuclear Reprogramming’ summarised his revolutionary studies.
In 1962 John Gurdon succeeded in cloning a vertebrate, the smooth newt amphibian, demonstrating that cellular specialisation is not an irreversible process. He took the nucleus from an intestinal cell of an adult individual and transferred it into an egg cell that had previously been deprived of its own nucleus. The result was extraordinary: the reconstituted cell developed successfully, giving rise to a healthy and perfectly functional tadpole. This revolutionary experiment confirmed that the genetic information necessary to determine the cell type resides entirely in the nucleus and that differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to return to an embryonic state.

Gurdon's studies paved the way for a new understanding of cell biology, showing that, under certain conditions, cells can rejuvenate and regain plasticity. His discovery laid the foundations for research into cloning and earned him the title of ‘father of cloning’, profoundly influencing subsequent studies, up to the famous birth of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. His research work continues to have a profound influence on biomedical research, offering revolutionary prospects for the treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases, and suggesting new therapeutic strategies with enormous potential benefits for regenerative medicine and personalised therapies.

Prof John Gurdon is an extraordinary example of perseverance and determination, and he inspires future generations of students not to give up when faced with difficulties. His academic career was not without obstacles, as demonstrated by the harsh judgement of his biology teacher at the prestigious Eton College:
‘I believe Gurdon has ambitions of becoming a scientist. At the moment, he is making a fool of himself. If he cannot learn the basics of biology, he will have no chance of becoming a specialist. It would be a waste of time for him and for those who would have to teach him.’

Despite these discouraging words, Gurdon didn't let himself be defeated and resolutely continued along his scientific path, until he became one of the most influential biologists in history. His career shows that talent and passion can overcome any obstacle, even in the face of the harshest criticism.
Sir John Bertrand Gurdon graduated from the University of Oxford in 1960 and obtained his PhD at the California Institute of Technology. He currently continues to work at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge.

Reason for awarding the Honorary PhD in Translational Medicine
 

‘For having completely revolutionised pre-existing theories on cellular specialisation and having paved the way for a new vision of Biology and Medicine. Thanks to his original studies of high translational value, today we know that adult cells of a tissue can be reprogrammed, with enormous benefits for the study and development of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods for countless pathologies, in accordance with the scientific method’.