JCI Conversations with Giants in Medicine: Bert Vogelstein and Kenneth Kinzler

Bert Vogelstein, MD, and Kenneth Kinzler, PhD, are codirectors of the Ludwig Center at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Vogelstein and Kinzler demonstrated that colorectal cancer results from the sequential accumulation of mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, establishing a paradigm
for modern cancer genomics. Additionally, they discovered the tumor suppressors APC and TP53; they were the first to perform exomic sequencing in tumors; and they developed digital PCR. In an interview with JCI’s Editor-at-Large Ushma Neill, Vogelstein and Kinzler reflect on their career trajectories and past discoveries and discuss their goals as scientists.