Scott André Oakes, M.D.
Research Scholar, 1995-1996
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Resident in Anatomic Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Harvard Medical School

"After two years of medical school lectures on the molecular basis of disease at the University of Connecticut, I wanted to see if doing science was nearly as fun as learning about it. Spending a year in the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program seemed like an ideal way to find out. Looking back, that decision was career-defining.

The NIH campus was an impressive, almost overwhelming place to first experience big-time science. Surrounded by unparalleled resources and countless world-class investigators, I was surprised to find that as a Scholar I was welcome in practically every laboratory on campus. I chose to spend the year in Dr. John O'Shea's lab studying a newly-identified form of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) caused by mutations of JAK3, a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase involved in transmission of cytokine signals from the surface of lymphocytes. Dr. O'Shea was a great mentor and he selected a well-defined, challenging project for me that could be completed within the year. With much guidance from others in his lab, my skills at the bench started to gradually catch up with my ideas. My project resulted in multiple publications, but more importantly taught me critical thinking and problem solving in a hands-on way. While my laboratory exposure could hardly have been better, I learned at least as much science within the walls of the Cloister. The Monday night lectures by prominent HHMI and NIH investigators showed us the best in science. Discussing results and future directions with others in the program taught me the value of peer review and established lasting friendships. By the end of the year, I knew that I loved science and wanted to spend my career doing it.

After finishing medical school, I began residency in anatomic pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Harvard is full of former Scholars. Rarely a day goes by when I don't see one of my friends from the Cloister in the hall or at a science lecture. These connections were a huge help in finding a research mentor for my postdoctoral fellowship. In July 2000, I entered the laboratory of Dr. Stan Korsmeyer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. My research focuses on defining the upstream molecular events responsible for mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death). These proximal signaling pathways may represent important therapeutic targets for treating cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmunity.

Since leaving Bethesda, my goal remains the same. I intend to one day be an independent physician-scientist in the field of cancer biology at a major medical center. This goal and the early steps I have made toward it are the direct result of participating in the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program."