Internationally recognized for his original research involving the viral and genetic basis of cancer initiation and progression, Dr. Bishop was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with Dr. Harold. E. Varmus, for their co-discovery of proto-oncogenes. This class of genes possesses normal biological functions that have the ability to promote carcinogenesis upon acquisition of various genetic abnormalities.
This discovery that cancer could be caused by the malfunction of normal genes revolutionized the understanding of tumorigenesis and greatly expanded the scope of associated scientific areas such as cancer detection as well as drug discovery and development. In addition to this finding, Dr. Bishop was equally instrumental in defining the molecular mechanisms of retroviral transduction as well as discovering the function of the protein product of the src oncogene, the first biochemical mechanism implicated directly in tumorigenesis.
Career Highlights
2011 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award, Research!America
2009 DiNA Lifetime Achievement Award
2008 Elected Foreign Member, The Royal Society, London
2003 National Medal of Science
1998 Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco
1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1987 Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
1984 Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., Prize, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation
1984 Gairdner Foundation International Award
1984 Armand Hammer Cancer Prize
1983 Passano Foundation Award
1982 California Scientist of the Year, California Museum of Science and Industry
1982 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research
1981 Director, The George Williams Hooper Research Foundation, University of California, San Francisco
1962 MD, Harvard University