Insights from

Nobel Laureates, for scientists everywhere

Paul Nurse

Paul Nurse

Paul Nurse is a geneticist and cell biologist who has worked on how the eukaryotic cell cycle is controlled and how cell shape and cell dimensions are determined. His major work has been on the cyclin dependent protein kinases and how they regulate cell reproduction.

He is President of the Royal Society and Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and has served as Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK and President of Rockefeller University.

He shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and has received the Albert Lasker Award and the Royal Society’s Royal and Copley Medals. He was knighted in 1999 and received the Legion d’honneur in 2003.

Photo credit: BBC

How did you choose between basic and applied research?
Paul Nurse

How did you choose between basic and applied research?

Are basic and applied research equally important?
Paul Nurse

Are basic and applied research equally important?

How do you choose the best students?
Paul Nurse

How do you choose the best students?

How do you motivate your students?
Paul Nurse

How do you motivate your students?

How can you judge the quality of a researcher?
Paul Nurse

How can you judge the quality of a researcher?

How can you encourage people to work together?
Paul Nurse

How can you encourage people to work together?

What should you do if you get conflicting results?
Paul Nurse

What should you do if you get conflicting results?

Should you look to be at the front of a new field?
Paul Nurse

Should you look to be at the front of a new field?

How can universities encourage collaboration?
Paul Nurse

How can universities encourage collaboration?

How can you set up a successful lab?
Paul Nurse

How can you set up a successful lab?

Was it difficult to start your career in science?
Paul Nurse

Was it difficult to start your career in science?

Should I choose academia or industry?
Paul Nurse

Should I choose academia or industry?

How do you tell who will be a good supervisor?
Paul Nurse

How do you tell who will be a good supervisor?

Can philosophy benefit science?
Paul Nurse

Can philosophy benefit science?

How do you choose which ideas to pursue?
Paul Nurse

How do you choose which ideas to pursue?