Exploring Two Two-Edged Swords

Failla, Marie Curie, and Columbia University It was a particular pleasure to receive the Radiation Research Society Failla Award in Warsaw, Poland, the birthplace of Marie Sklodowska Curie. Gioacchino Failla was the first director of my own Institute, now called the Columbia University Center for Radiological Research (CRR). Starting in 1918, Failla was in charge of the Columbia University Center for an astonishing 43 years, before Harold Rossi and then Eric Hall took over the reins. Between them, Rossi and Hall led the CRR for a further 49 years. Perhaps radiation is linked to scientific longevity, if not to increased lifespan (1). Failla was in fact one of Marie Curie’s graduate students, and he received his doctorate from the Sorbonne in 1923. Two years earlier, Marie Curie had visited Failla in New York City during her trip to the U.S. The New York Times recorded her arrival (Fig. 1) with the headline “Mme. Curie Plans to End All Cancers,” together with the memorable subheading “Motherly looking scientist in plain black frock gives thanks to Americans.” FIG. 1 New York Times, May 12 1921, describing Marie Curie’s arrival in New York City. Curie met with her student, Gioacchino Failla, during her visit. The Two Two-Edged Swords Radiation’s two two-edged swords that have dominated my own scientific thinking are: Radiation can cure cancer versus radiation can induce cancer. Radiotherapy needs physics research versus radiotherapy needs biological research. The goal of this brief summary is to give some examples of these contrasts, and try to draw some conclusions about research directions, interleaved with some observations about the scientists who have tried to push me in the right directions over the years.