Returns not always about money, says star scientist
Edison Liu says difficult decision to leave S'pore based on complex issues
By Chang Ai-Lien, Senior Correspondent
AT THE Jackson Laboratory in the United States, the champagne was popped as the renowned cancer research institute celebrated its new prized catch.
On the other end of the globe, some 15,000km away, news of Professor Edison Liu's departure as the chief of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) was met with stunned silence and tears.
His resignation after more than a decade as one of Singapore's most prominent scientists caused shock waves within the local research community.
The decision to leave was a difficult one, based on complex issues, he reveals in his first in-depth interview since announcing his resignation two weeks ago.
'There is a strong commitment to science here, and great research,' he says. 'But there's also a tendency to overplan, thinking incorrectly that we can predict success in scientific discovery.'
While he says that strategy differences were not the primary reason for his departure, many scientists here admit they are struggling with unrealistic expectations such as enforced partnership with a faltering pharmaceutical industry, excessively bureaucratic red tape, and lack of consultation.
Already, Prof Liu's departure comes on the back of the announcement that two other prominent American scientists here, the husband-and-wife duo Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins, are returning to jobs in America.Many more at all levels are also planning escape routes.
But Prof Liu also believes that it is time for a fresh face to take over at GIS, as leaders of top institutes should stay at the helm no longer than 12 years or so. He has, he adds, trained a capable successor. Filling his shoes is GIS senior group leader Ng Huck Hui.
'It is symbolic that I can pass the baton on to home-grown Singaporean talent. I think this means that the country has reached a milestone in research excellence,' says Prof Liu.
There are personal reasons for leaving as well.
'I found that I was reacting to events rather than thinking through them and realised that I needed a mental refresh by facing a new challenge.'
On a lighter note, he says: 'Perhaps this is a mid-life crisis, but I certainly did not want to overstay my welcome in Singapore.'
Prof Liu is considered the first 'whale' or star researcher to land on Singapore's shores in 2001, and is known for taking big risks for the thrill of a challenge. For instance, he gave up his job as clinical sciences director at the US National Cancer Institute overseeing 1,200 staff, to build up the GIS from nothing.
'People thought I was crazy and that I was committing professional suicide,' he says.
He has since silenced critics by putting Singapore on the international scientific map. GIS is now considered one of the best genome institutes in the world.
The Republic's biomedical drive has created a new generation of talent, and the benefits of this endeavour have been nothing short of miraculous, he notes.
But, in a pointed reference to those with their eyes on the bottom line, he stresses that returns cannot always be tallied up in the accountant's books.
'In my opinion, the billions we have spent have already delivered. Those who question what Singapore got for its investment ignore how companies along the complete spectrum of life sciences, from devices to pharmaceuticals, to hospitals, now make Singapore their Asian home.
'Clinical and basic biological research are both critical for this industry to flourish, but like quality secondary schools or excellent public transport, the direct accounting of their contribution to the GDP (gross domestic product) is near impossible.'
Continued investment in fundamental life sciences - with all its attendant risks and uncertainties - is essential, he stresses, particularly at a time when hundreds of scholarship holders are finishing their training and returning home. He estimates that it will take another five to 10 years before discoveries are ripe for the picking.
'Now, it is more important than ever not to cast aside what has been built up, or all the investments will go to waste, good people will not come, and the returning scholars will simply fulfil their bonds and leave for better jobs overseas.'
As he considered transitioning out of his GIS directorship, there were no Singapore options available, Prof Liu reveals. However, Jackson Lab offered the most intriguing challenge, and it wanted him.
He acknowledges though that trading in the hot tropics for Maine's bracing winters will not be a cinch, with a flat research budget across the US.
'The US situation is not rosy. But Jackson Lab runs a US$140 million (S$169 million) business component, for which there are expansion plans.'
Jackson Lab specialises in mouse genetics to prevent and treat human diseases, and when he becomes its head in January next year, he hopes to build a bridge between its 1,400-strong research community and colleagues in Singapore.
Leaving the country that he has called home for more than a decade is decidedly bittersweet.
'It was an easy decision to come here, but it was an extremely difficult one to leave. I vacillated until the last minute,' says Prof Liu, whose wife Maggie, 59, is a housewife. They have two sons, aged 25 and 20, and a 15-year-old daughter.
'I really care about this country and its people. Singapore's spirit of making something out of nothing continues to inspire me.'
So what started as a gamble blossomed into a love affair with the country, and saw him becoming a permanent resident in 2007.
'My three children spent most of their formative years here, enjoying the best education they could have anywhere in the world, and they are better people because of it.
'I have made lifelong friends, and I can't get enough of the food. My favourite dishes of all time are laksa and chicken rice, so I must have Singaporean blood running through my veins,' he adds with a laugh.
And he hopes to return and continue to contribute.
'I am leaving because it is the right thing to do at the right time. But I will always be an advocate for Singapore and would be honoured to be called back,' he says.
'It is never a final goodbye, but a prolonged but temporary parting until the next visit or a relocation.'
[email protected]
Edison Liu says difficult decision to leave S'pore based on complex issues
By Chang Ai-Lien, Senior Correspondent
AT THE Jackson Laboratory in the United States, the champagne was popped as the renowned cancer research institute celebrated its new prized catch.
On the other end of the globe, some 15,000km away, news of Professor Edison Liu's departure as the chief of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) was met with stunned silence and tears.
His resignation after more than a decade as one of Singapore's most prominent scientists caused shock waves within the local research community.
The decision to leave was a difficult one, based on complex issues, he reveals in his first in-depth interview since announcing his resignation two weeks ago.
'There is a strong commitment to science here, and great research,' he says. 'But there's also a tendency to overplan, thinking incorrectly that we can predict success in scientific discovery.'
While he says that strategy differences were not the primary reason for his departure, many scientists here admit they are struggling with unrealistic expectations such as enforced partnership with a faltering pharmaceutical industry, excessively bureaucratic red tape, and lack of consultation.
Already, Prof Liu's departure comes on the back of the announcement that two other prominent American scientists here, the husband-and-wife duo Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins, are returning to jobs in America.Many more at all levels are also planning escape routes.
But Prof Liu also believes that it is time for a fresh face to take over at GIS, as leaders of top institutes should stay at the helm no longer than 12 years or so. He has, he adds, trained a capable successor. Filling his shoes is GIS senior group leader Ng Huck Hui.
'It is symbolic that I can pass the baton on to home-grown Singaporean talent. I think this means that the country has reached a milestone in research excellence,' says Prof Liu.
There are personal reasons for leaving as well.
'I found that I was reacting to events rather than thinking through them and realised that I needed a mental refresh by facing a new challenge.'
On a lighter note, he says: 'Perhaps this is a mid-life crisis, but I certainly did not want to overstay my welcome in Singapore.'
Prof Liu is considered the first 'whale' or star researcher to land on Singapore's shores in 2001, and is known for taking big risks for the thrill of a challenge. For instance, he gave up his job as clinical sciences director at the US National Cancer Institute overseeing 1,200 staff, to build up the GIS from nothing.
'People thought I was crazy and that I was committing professional suicide,' he says.
He has since silenced critics by putting Singapore on the international scientific map. GIS is now considered one of the best genome institutes in the world.
The Republic's biomedical drive has created a new generation of talent, and the benefits of this endeavour have been nothing short of miraculous, he notes.
But, in a pointed reference to those with their eyes on the bottom line, he stresses that returns cannot always be tallied up in the accountant's books.
'In my opinion, the billions we have spent have already delivered. Those who question what Singapore got for its investment ignore how companies along the complete spectrum of life sciences, from devices to pharmaceuticals, to hospitals, now make Singapore their Asian home.
'Clinical and basic biological research are both critical for this industry to flourish, but like quality secondary schools or excellent public transport, the direct accounting of their contribution to the GDP (gross domestic product) is near impossible.'
Continued investment in fundamental life sciences - with all its attendant risks and uncertainties - is essential, he stresses, particularly at a time when hundreds of scholarship holders are finishing their training and returning home. He estimates that it will take another five to 10 years before discoveries are ripe for the picking.
'Now, it is more important than ever not to cast aside what has been built up, or all the investments will go to waste, good people will not come, and the returning scholars will simply fulfil their bonds and leave for better jobs overseas.'
As he considered transitioning out of his GIS directorship, there were no Singapore options available, Prof Liu reveals. However, Jackson Lab offered the most intriguing challenge, and it wanted him.
He acknowledges though that trading in the hot tropics for Maine's bracing winters will not be a cinch, with a flat research budget across the US.
'The US situation is not rosy. But Jackson Lab runs a US$140 million (S$169 million) business component, for which there are expansion plans.'
Jackson Lab specialises in mouse genetics to prevent and treat human diseases, and when he becomes its head in January next year, he hopes to build a bridge between its 1,400-strong research community and colleagues in Singapore.
Leaving the country that he has called home for more than a decade is decidedly bittersweet.
'It was an easy decision to come here, but it was an extremely difficult one to leave. I vacillated until the last minute,' says Prof Liu, whose wife Maggie, 59, is a housewife. They have two sons, aged 25 and 20, and a 15-year-old daughter.
'I really care about this country and its people. Singapore's spirit of making something out of nothing continues to inspire me.'
So what started as a gamble blossomed into a love affair with the country, and saw him becoming a permanent resident in 2007.
'My three children spent most of their formative years here, enjoying the best education they could have anywhere in the world, and they are better people because of it.
'I have made lifelong friends, and I can't get enough of the food. My favourite dishes of all time are laksa and chicken rice, so I must have Singaporean blood running through my veins,' he adds with a laugh.
And he hopes to return and continue to contribute.
'I am leaving because it is the right thing to do at the right time. But I will always be an advocate for Singapore and would be honoured to be called back,' he says.
'It is never a final goodbye, but a prolonged but temporary parting until the next visit or a relocation.'
[email protected]
