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Australian scientist Barry J. Marshall was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden, alongside his colleague, Dr. Robin Warren. He agreed to an open conversation with Tuổi Trẻ (albeit online) about his commitment and the ideals of a scientist.
The Path of Science
* How has the Nobel Prize impacted your daily life and scientific career? What was your feeling when you received the news about this award?
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Barry J. Marshall was born on September 30, 1951, and is currently a researcher, senior lecturer, and physician at The University of Australia, one of the largest universities in Australia. Since 1982, along with Dr. Robin Warren, he began researching Helicobacter bacteria in relation to gastric ulcers. However, this was not an easy path, as the notion that “Helicobacter bacteria are the cause of gastric ulcers” was once considered a crazy idea. At that time, all theories suggested that “bacteria could not survive in the acidic environment of the stomach.” Both remained steadfast in their direction until achieving extraordinary success with the highest honor: the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005. In the photo: Marshall (left) and Warren celebrate receiving the Nobel Prize at the concert hall in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10, 2005. |
– Barry J. Marshall: It was a strange feeling when I suddenly realized that I had reached the highest goal in scientific research. At that moment, I thought: “Oh, this is amazing. But what will I do next with the rest of my life?” However, in reality, this was not a difficult decision to make because I remain interested in continuing my research on Helicobacter. Therefore, I will continue my work, which is also my hobby, passion, and form of entertainment.
* What led you to the process of researching Helicobacter?
– The research on Helicobacter began when Dr. Warren showed me the bacteria under the microscope. I agreed with him that these bacteria were very unusual due to their large numbers, indicating that they had been living in the stomachs of sick people, rather than just being environmental bacteria.
This was a very special observation because, at that time, medical textbooks stated that the stomach was sterile and that bacteria could not survive in the acidic environment of the stomach. Therefore, I was very excited about the prospect of discovering a new type of bacteria and publishing a new research paper in a specialized scientific journal.
Although I was oriented towards becoming a general practitioner at that time, I still felt that a specialized research article would be very beneficial for me before fully dedicating my time to being a doctor. Thus, my career took an interesting turn, shifting entirely to research on infectious diseases and gastroenterology. However, I still continue to practice as a treating physician.
* In recent years, more and more research groups have been awarded the Nobel Prize. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of teamwork in the research process?
– Teamwork is essential in scientific research; however, the creative ideas often originate from one or two individuals. The primary contributors in collaborative research can publish their findings independently but must publicly acknowledge the contributions of others.
Typically, those who collaborate on a project can become co-authors on subsequent research work. There are also times when our viewpoints do not fully align. In such cases, it is important to be humble, sincere, and willing to compromise to find common ground on essential points.
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In fact, using myself as an experiment to prove that Helicobacter causes gastric ulcers was only a last resort after six months of unsuccessful experiments on pigs. This was a carefully prepared and planned experiment that yielded very successful results. In fact, I didn’t even realize that this detail is now so famous worldwide. |
* What are you currently researching? What do you plan to do in the future?
– I am continuing my research on Helicobacter. I am preparing to establish a new company focused on vaccine research. I also plan to revisit genetic research if I have spare time.
* In your opinion, what is important for a scientific research career? Many young people in Vietnam today believe that scientific research is less practical than business. What should be done to encourage the youth to be more passionate about scientific research?
– In my opinion, the most important thing in science is curiosity and passion. However, you cannot make new discoveries without a solid grasp of the foundational knowledge in your research field. Therefore, it is necessary to have a few years of learning and gaining experience before focusing on a research career and seeking new findings in a new area.
At the same time, on the path to success, competitive challenges and a few minor difficulties are also quite important for researchers. This will encourage them to strive harder to discover a completely novel path that differs from others.
Many might say that you are too obsessed with your work, but if you spend your free time doing research or working on what you truly love, you will find it very interesting and feel that it is more of a leisure activity than a tedious workday. For instance, I used to study cat stomachs in my garage on weekends. I often took pictures of them and conducted other chemical experiments… This was very beneficial, even though it was not directly related to my main work.
Regarding the encouragement of research in Vietnam, I believe that one of the priorities is for the government to allocate a budget for scholarships to train and even send students abroad to develop a team of young scientists who can meet international standards. Afterwards, we must find ways to turn research into a professional career where teaching at universities and independent research should be compensated equally to other fields. Only then can we attract the most talented students to a career in scientific research.
Everyday Life
* Do you encourage your children to follow in your scientific footsteps?
| What I want to say is to try to study something you truly love. This will help you not only “work” but also “play” according to your own interests. |
– All four of my children are now grown and have their own careers. One son works in computer science, one daughter is an internet programmer, another is a graphic artist, and the last is an office secretary. My wife is in the field of psychology and visual arts. We have three grandchildren.
* How does a father-scientist educate his children?
– My children studied in Australia and also in the United States. They attended public schools and sometimes private ones (at times when we could afford it). As mentioned earlier, my children are all grown up and have chosen careers based on their own inclinations. I believe that children should be encouraged to study a broad range of knowledge, and if possible, pay a little more attention to math and science subjects. Additionally, I think it’s important for children to learn languages, especially English, because expressing oneself in scientific reports and communicating scientific discoveries is very important.
Overall, my wife and I just want our children to be safe, happy, and independent from their parents. So far, I think we have been quite successful in raising our children, and I am very satisfied with that.
* Was the school life of a Nobel Laureate scientist any different?
– When I was a student, I stood out academically; however, I was also quite playful and easily captivated by unusual games. Back then, I enjoyed learning almost all subjects but hated memorizing anything. I always tried to understand the key issues of problems and events without memorizing anything. I was very interested in electricity, physics, and chemistry because I could experiment practically at home.
I remember when I was 12, my parents bought me a microscope and some chemistry experiment tools so I could explore my interests. Regarding biology, I only engaged with two areas: human biology and medicine, as I only had books related to those fields.
Like other children, I loved reading about dinosaurs and fossils. I also enjoyed exploring the human body. Among all subjects, I found mathematics to be somewhat challenging. Now I somewhat regret not trying harder in math back then, as it is the foundation for many other scientific subjects.
As for sports, I wasn’t particularly good, especially in athletics. However, I was decent at swimming, at least better than in other sports.
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Memories of Vietnam * You have visited Vietnam, how do you understand our Vietnam?
– It’s very interesting that you ask this question. Please take a look at my photos in Vietnam to envision my trip. My impression is that Vietnam is truly fascinating, with very friendly and resilient people. I believe Vietnam will achieve great success in the near future. I undertook a significant journey across Vietnam. This trip was organized by my wife, Adrienne, during my lecture series in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. We loved both cities as they are very contrasting. My wife and I also visited Ha Long Bay and Hoi An. It was a truly delightful trip, and we were very touched by the hospitality of the people. However, I think the biggest issue that Vietnamese tourism needs to address is developing highways to facilitate quicker travel from one end of the country to the other. |
* Thank you.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY HOÀNG HỒNG
