How J. Michael Bishop Changed Cancer Research and UCSF

J. Michael Bishop is an American biomedical researcher who has been long associated with the University of California, San Francisco. His collaborative work with Harold Varmus showed that oncogenes can come from normal cellular genes called proto-oncogenes. This discovery was central to viewing cancer as a genetic disease and earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1989. Although early experiments used viruses to trace the genes, later work showed that mutations, radiation, or chemical exposure can also activate proto-oncogenes. The finding has opened new lines of research and has supported the development of targeted therapies.

Bishop served as chancellor of UCSF from 1998 to 2009 and he oversaw a major expansion at the Mission Bay campus. While chancellor, he promoted new facilities for basic science and translational research, and fundraising grew to support construction and programs. Therefore, UCSF added laboratories and clinical buildings that now host many research teams. Furthermore, Bishop has written about scientific life and education, and his discoveries continue to influence cancer biology and university leadership.