David Nathan

David Nathan, professor at Harvard Medical School and President Emeritus of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is a renowned hematologist with contributions to the clinical treatments of β-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, and chronic granulomatous disease. Nathan also contributed to the development of the first prenatal test for hematological disorders. He’s known as the consummate clinical investigator, mentor, and a great wit. In the interview, you can hear his stories about tedious Victorian poets, success in mentoring trainees, and aspiring to write like Atul Gawande.

Peter Agre

After a 20-year focus on the water channel aquaporin (work for which he shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Peter Agre has turned his attention to malaria. He currently serves as Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. In this interview, Agre displays his witty sense of humor, including vignettes related to running for Senate, dancing to the Buena Vista Social Club, and his desire to be known as the Victor Borge of science.

Twenty-six compelling conversations

Since May 2012, the JCI has aired twenty-six interviews with twenty-eight notable scientists for the series Conversations with Giants in Medicine. In the highlight reel to accompany the October 2014 issue, we’ve chosen some of the most memorable vignettes from the Conversations — stories that give life to the life sciences.

Lasker Giants

For the last five years, the JCI has had the privilege of working with the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation to write profiles on the prizewinners. Coverage of the 2014 laureates will be featured in the October issue. In addition to the news features on the prizes, we have had the pleasure of interviewing several of the previous years’ laureates for the series “Conversations with Giants in Medicine.”

Napoleone Ferrara

Napoleone Ferrara, of the University of California, San Diego, is best known for isolating and cloning vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). He then built the humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF that led to the blockbuster drugs Avastin (for treating cancer) and Lucentis (for treating wet age-related macular degeneration).