Andrew Koff
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Andrew Koff was born and raised in New York the elder child of four siblings, with three younger sisters. He attended Long Beach High School in New York, influenced by Jeffrey Elias, his high school biology teacher. Koff matriculated at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, majoring in political science. While an undergraduate he worked as a technician in Peter Tegtmeyer's lab on SV40 large T-antigen; he decided to remain at Stony Brook for his graduate studies and researched herpes simplex virus replication. From there he began a postdoctoral fellowship in James M. Roberts's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington, studying cyclin E; he collaborated with Joan Massague on cyclin E-CDK2 activity. After Seattle, Koff accepted a position at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, and focused his lab on p27 interactions and regulation, on developing mouse models mimicking p27 activity, on cyclins in meiosis, and on angiogenesis. The interview concludes with his thoughts on grant writing and the peer review process; balancing family and career; the importance of being familiar with the history and context of a particular field of research; the pressures of publication and production in the scientific community; dealing with a stutter; what it is like to be a primary investigator at a prestigious research institute; and the impact of the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences on his career.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | State University of New York at Stony Brook | BS | Biochemistry |
| 1990 | State University of New York at Stony Brook | PhD | Molecular Microbiology |
Professional Experience
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1996 to 2000 | Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences Grant |
Table of Contents
Family background. Family life and his approach to scientific problems. Siblings. Influential grade school teacher. Pets. Influential high school biology teacher. Long Beach High School. State University of New York, Stony Brook. Majors in political science. Becomes interested in science while taking a biochemistry course. Public speaking. Extracurricular activities. Parental expectations. Works as a technician in Peter J. Tegtmeyer's lab on SV40 large Tantigen. Attends graduate school at State University of New York, Stony Brook in Tegtmeyer's laboratory. PhDÂ research on herpes simplex virus replication.
The Tegtmeyer laboratory. Life as a graduate student. The peer review system for journal articles. Postdoctoral fellowship in James M. Robert's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Work on cyclin E. Collaboration with Joan Massague on cyclin E-CDK2 activity. Elizabeth Moffitt. Mark T. Groudine's influence. Course from Joseph R. Sambrook. More on human cyclinE and p27.
Setting up his laboratory. Current research on p27 interactions and regulation, on developing mouse models mimicking p27 activity, on cyclins in meiosis, and on angiogenesis. Practical applications of his work. Teaching and administrative responsibilities.
Grant writing and the peer review process. Writing journal articles. Balancing family and career. Leisure activities. The advantages and disadvantages of competition and collaboration. The obligation of the scientist to the public. Partnerships between academia and industry. Gender issues in science. Impact of the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences.