Three SFU scientists have made Thomson Reuter’s list of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds: 2014 (WMISM).
The three honourees — Marco Marra, Fiona Brinkman, and Steven Jones — are among 90 Canadians on the list of 3,215 researchers from around the world.
This list drew from 21 fields in the sciences and the social sciences, from space to psychology, and was created based on the number of citations each researcher’s papers received in their first year of publication. When a paper is cited, this means that another scientist is using it as a reference.
One of the three on the list, Fiona Brinkman, an SFU professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, with cross appointments in the School of Computer Science and Faculty of Health Science, has been recognized for her contributions to computer science.
A self-proclaimed “computer-geek,” growing up Brinkman felt that combining her interest in learning about life and using computers was the natural thing to do.
Her research focuses on developing more holistic and sustainable approaches to infectious disease control. This means that instead of only focusing on the disease-causing agent, her lab also looks at the host and disease causing factors in society and the environment.
Brinkman’s research supports a trend of more specific treatment in medicine; instead of relying on the ‘shotgun approach’ to treating bacterial infections, which often results in antibiotic resistance, Brinkman wants to “put selective pressure on [bacteria] so that we can co-exist without them being able to make us ill.”
Her research also hopes to make the tracking and control of infections more efficient. This can have important implications not only for human disease, but also agriculture and aquaculture, and prevent negative economic impacts on affected areas.
Marra was the second most cited researcher in Canada in 2014.
Another recognized scientist, Steven Jones, is an SFU professor as well as a member of the bioinformatics group at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre. Jones works alongside the third member of the trio, Marco Marra, researching malignancy in tumors using DNA sequencing and bioinformatics approaches.
Marra is an adjunct professor in SFU’s Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; he was the second most cited researcher in Canada in 2014.
Using next-generation DNA sequencing technology, their research focuses on unraveling the mutational landscape of cancer. This is accomplished by analyzing the genetic code of tumors to understand the mutations that accumulate over time and result in the formation of cancer.
Jones explained that “colon cancers from two different people might look identical under the microscope,” however they may not respond the same way to a treatment. By looking at the genetic code of the tumor he intends to learn why this may occur.
Marra added, “We are not going to sequence a cancer and know everything there is to know about all [of them].”
With better understanding of the genetic profile of a patient’s tumor, one can also avoid unnecessary treatments and ensure that the patient receives only the treatment they need, Jones explained.
This research supports a change in the way medical practitioners approach the treatment of cancer since there is now clear genetic evidence to suggest that no single treatment can serve as a cure for the disease.
Jones noted, “It’s nice that [Thomson Reuter’s list] is based on metric and not on opinions.” He added, “Many of the works that are being cited took many years of hard work.”
While Marra does not work specifically in drug development, some of his research has influenced the potential use of therapies that are currently being developed and tested.
Marra commented on what it means for him to be acknowledged on the Thomson Reuter’s list: “In some respects, it’s better than an award. It indicates that there is a general appreciation for the work my group publishes.
“It means we’ve had an impact, we’ve helped move science in some direction, and that’s to me really what science is all about. Sharing results, sharing information, and stimulating other work elsewhere, so I feel good about that.”
