雅美之途
教育，人文，社会
你们说Genentech的华裔SVP (Senior Vice President) Andy Chan有多么牛？Ken Murphy的免疫学权威教科书专门花了至少七页，讲述他在UCSF的Arthur Weiss实验室发现的ZAP-70。如果涉及ZAP-70的其他功能和BLNK, 教科书里Andy的贡献至少需要十几页才能描述清楚。
当时阿肯森作为大内科主任将学生Andy招到华大做教授，并且向Howard Hughes推荐他成为HHMI研究员。阿肯森当时的影响力如日中天，学生也争气。
记得阿肯森在Andy的十楼报告厅的求职学术报告的中途才入会场，因为做整个医学院最大系的主任很忙。他总要为自己学生鼓劲便问到：“Andy, 那个ZAP-70里的ZAP是什么意思？”。这是相当明显的明知故问，在学术报告中问你问题表示友好，以及对你所做的东西感兴趣。
阿肯森教授夫妇和他的得意弟子Andy Chan，照片来自网络。
这些都成为免疫学博士生或医学生应该掌握的知识，Andy Chan还在华大发现了ZAP-70缺陷的病人。ZAP-70是与T细胞受体Zeta链相关的激酶，它能够磷酸化adaptor蛋白LAT和SLP-76, 在T细胞的信号传导中起重要作用。
补体受体CD21是B细胞复合受体的组成部分，ZAP-70不参与B细胞受体的信号传导，但是Andy Chan在我们十楼发现了B细胞信号传导的adaptor蛋白BLNK。这样使得Andy成为在T和B细胞的信号传导机制中，都做出过杰出贡献的免疫学家。
作为一个形象的对比，做出如此重大发现的科学家，他连美国的院士都不是。Andy在华大以难以置信的四年时间从助理教授晋升为副教授，我们实在留不住他，外面的世界竞相挖他。所以我说的中国院士的平均水平赶不上华大优秀的助理教授仍然适用。
圣路易斯华大最近在Founders Day表彰Andy Chan：“This award recognizes outstanding professional achievement, public service, and exceptional service to Washington University”。
这里除了学术成就，还涉及他对华大的贡献，他永远不忘记为华大解开钱贷子。Andy做的两件事值得我们学习：他沿袭华人尊重导师的传统。其次，他学到美国人奏献社会的文化，他捐巨款给教育自己的母校。在阿肯森慢长学术人生中，培养的博士不足十人，似乎只要有一个Andy Chan这样的帅才，人生就足矣。
看见那个小红标签了吗？那页含有一个堪萨斯大学毕业生的华大教授的介绍，阿肯森特别提到这位母校的毕业生，所以大家不要奇怪我经常提及同济母校。
这是华大在Founders day给Andy Chan的评价，我提醒阿肯森里面使用了他的中文名。阿肯森随口念出，但是我们都不知道什么意思。说不定ChatGPT猜对了他的中文姓名为“陈志远”，中文来自ChatGPT翻译官，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.”
“陈志远博士（Andrew Chee-Yuen Chan, MD）是免疫学领域的先驱研究者，他在将实验室科学成果转化为创新疗法方面取得了令人瞩目的业绩。他在自身免疫性疾病和癌症免疫疗法方面的突破性发现，以及在精准医学策略的实施方面都有所贡献。陈博士还共同发明了一种药物，深刻影响了多发性硬化症的治疗“
“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.”
“在过去的十年中，陈博士一直在旧金山的Genentech公司负责生物学研究，该公司致力于推动治疗致命性疾病的药物发现。他还担任加利福尼亚大学旧金山分校医学系的兼职副教授。在加入Genentech之前，陈博士在华盛顿大学度过了辉煌的学术生涯，成为霍华德·休斯医学研究所的副研究员以及内科和病理学系的副教授”
“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.”
“陈博士是未来一代医学科学家的专业导师，曾于2000年获得圣路易斯华盛顿大学颁发的“研究生导师特别成就奖”。自2016年以来，他一直是该校医学院国家理事会的成员。此外，他还参与了关节炎基金会，担任其国家咨询委员会和人力发展部门的委员等多个职务”
“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.”
“陈博士在西北大学获得了化学学士和硕士学位，并在圣路易斯华盛顿大学医学院攻读了细胞与发育生物学专业。他在巴恩斯-犹太医院完成了内科住院医师培训，并在加利福尼亚大学旧金山分校完成了风湿病专业的专科培训”。
“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.”
“陈博士被他的三所母校认定为杰出校友，并且在不同医学专业组织中获得了多项荣誉。这些荣誉包括当选为美国医学协会和美国临床研究协会的会员，以及关节炎基金会颁发的多个奖项，包括2021年的李·豪利高级奖和2012年的吉恩·沃诺克奖。2013年，陈博士获得了美国老年研究联合会的主席卓越奖”。
“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