Life lessons from 34 years of fighting cancer | Tyler Jacks | TEDxCambridge

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Just like in life, there are no turn-by-turn directions when it comes to cancer research. Tyler Jacks shares the lessons he’s learned, and what they mean for all of us.

Dr. Tyler Jacks, Ph.D. is the Director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a Daniel K. Ludwig Scholar. Over the course of his career at MIT, Dr. Jacks has pioneered the use of gene targeting technology to study cancer-associated genes and to construct models of many human cancer types, including cancers of the lung, brain, and ovary. His laboratory has made seminal contributions to the understanding of the effects of mutations of several common cancer-associated genes. This research has led to novel insights into tumor development, normal development, and other cellular processes, as well as new strategies for cancer detection and treatment.

Dr. Jacks has published more than 200 scientific papers and has served on the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is currently Chair of the National Cancer Advisory Board. He serves as an advisor to several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Amgen and Thermo Fisher Scientific. In recognition of his contributions to cancer research. Dr. Jacks was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2009 as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012 and the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Association of Cancer Research Academy in 2013.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)