Harold E. Varmus

Harold E. Varmus – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life, career, achievements, and memorable quotes of Harold E. Varmus — Nobel laureate, cancer biologist, institutional leader, and proponent of open science.

Introduction

Harold Eliot Varmus, born December 18, 1939, is a towering figure in modern biomedical science. His groundbreaking research on oncogenes reshaped our understanding of cancer, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1989 (shared with J. Michael Bishop).

But Varmus’s influence extends far beyond the laboratory. He presided over major scientific institutions, championed open access to scientific literature, and advocated for reforms in research culture. Today, his legacy continues in cancer research, science policy, and the movement for equitable access to knowledge.

Early Life and Family

Harold Varmus was born to Jewish parents of Eastern European descent in Oceanside, New York. Growing up in the post–World War II era, Varmus’s early years were shaped by the cultural and scientific optimism of the mid-20th century.

He graduated from Freeport High School in 1957 and entered Amherst College with the intention of becoming a physician. However, he initially gravitated toward English literature, a tension between science and humanities that would play a role throughout his life.

Youth and Education

At Amherst College, Varmus majored in English literature, immersing himself in Dickensian novels and anti-establishment journalism while completing the pre-medical requirements.

He then pursued graduate studies at Harvard, earning an M.A. in English in 1962.

After internship and residency at Columbia–Presbyterian Hospital, Varmus joined the Public Health Service in 1968 as an alternative to military service during the Vietnam War.

In 1970 he moved to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to pursue postdoctoral work in the lab of Michael Bishop. His time at UCSF would mark the start of a long, productive scientific partnership with Bishop.

Career and Achievements

Discovery of Oncogenes & Cancer Biology

Varmus and Bishop’s most celebrated contribution lies in the discovery that cancer-causing (viral) oncogenes originate from normal cellular genes (proto-oncogenes). c-Src as a cellular homolog of the viral v-Src, opening a new paradigm in cancer biology. This insight provoked decades of research into how mutations in proto-oncogenes and their regulators drive human cancers.

Over subsequent decades, Varmus’s lab explored a wide array of molecular mechanisms: retroviral replication, viral integration, Wnt signaling, ribosomal frameshifting in retroviruses, receptor identification for viral entry, EGFR mutations in lung cancer, and creation of mouse models for human tumors.

Leadership in Science Institutions

In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Varmus as Director of the NIH, a position he held until 1999.

After stepping down, he became President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City in 2000.

In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Varmus as the 14th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), making him the first person to lead both a major NIH institute and NCI.

He resigned in 2015 and returned to full-time academic work as the Lewis Thomas University Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell and Senior Associate at the New York Genome Center.

Advocacy for Open Science

Beyond his laboratory and leadership roles, Varmus has been a tireless advocate for open access to scientific knowledge. Late in his NIH tenure, he helped establish PubMed Central, a full-text digital archive for NIH-supported research, ensuring public access to funded work.

He is also a co-founder of the Public Library of Science (PLOS), a nonprofit publisher of open-access journals. Through these efforts, Varmus challenged traditional publishing models and sought to democratize scientific information.

Historical Milestones & Context

Varmus’s career unfolded during a golden era in molecular biology and virology. The 1970s–1990s saw major leaps: cloning, recombinant DNA methods, high-throughput sequencing, and refined cancer genetics.

• The discovery of proto-oncogenes was a turning point in cancer research, shifting the paradigm from viral causation to endogenous genetic alterations.

• His leadership at NIH came during a period of dramatic growth in federal biomedical funding, amidst debates over gene therapy, biotechnology patenting, and AIDS.

• In the early 2000s and 2010s, debates about open access, publication cost, and the reproducibility crisis became central to science policy — domains where Varmus has been an influential voice.

Thus, Varmus bridged eras: from classic virology and genetic principles to genomics, translational medicine, and science policy.

Legacy and Influence

Harold E. Varmus’s legacy is multifold:

1. Scientific Impact
   His discoveries remain foundational to cancer biology; the concept of proto-oncogenes is taught universally, and many therapies target these pathways.

2. Institutional Reforms
   Through his leadership at NIH, MSKCC, and NCI, he influenced research funding structures, institutional priorities, and translational pipelines.

3. Open Access Movement
   His advocacy helped seed the open science movement. PLOS and PubMed Central have transformed how scientists share and access knowledge.

4. Mentorship & Influence
   Many of Varmus’s trainees have themselves become leaders in medicine, science, and policy. Through his networks, he has shaped the next generation of biomedical leaders.

His influence is not just historical — he remains active in science advisory roles, boards, and public discourse.

Personality and Talents

Varmus is intellectually curious, open-minded, and fearless in challenging norms. His early dual passion for literature and medicine shows a breadth rarely seen in scientists. His writings and public speeches often emphasize that science is not passive absorption, but an “active process of discovery.”

He has also spoken candidly about behavior, policy, and the human dimensions of medicine: “I begin with the premise that behavior is an incredibly important element in medicine.”

Beyond his reserved academic persona, he has embraced creativity. For example, Varmus and his son Jacob have collaborated on lecture-concerts titled “Genes and Jazz”, blending science and music.

Famous Quotes of Harold E. Varmus

Here are some of his memorable statements:

• “I had learned that science is a rewarding, active process of discovery, not the passive absorption of what others had discovered.”

• “Every cancer looks different. Every cancer has similarities to other cancers. And we're trying to milk those differences and similarities to do a better job of predicting how things are going to work out and making new drugs.”

• “Science can improve lives in ways that are elegant in design and moving in practice.”

• “My ideal summer day was reading on the porch.”

• “Tobacco, UV rays, viruses, heredity, and age are the main causes of cancer.”

• “I keep encouraging the pharmaceutical companies to put more money into R&D.”

• “There are three great themes in science in the twentieth century: the atom, the computer, and the gene.”

• “I begin with the premise that behavior is an incredibly important element in medicine. People’s habits … are all behavioral questions.”

Lessons from Harold E. Varmus

1. Interdisciplinary Curiosity Pays Off
   Varmus’s early years in literature enriched his capacity to communicate, reflect, and think broadly. Scientists can benefit from engaging with the humanities.

2. Question Norms
   His advocacy for open access and critiques of competitive culture show that progress demands not just scientific insight—but institutional courage.

3. Balance Leadership with Active Science
   Even while heading major organizations, Varmus never abandoned his lab or direct scientific involvement. He demonstrated that leadership and discovery can coexist.

4. Embrace the Process of Discovery
   His phrase about science being “active discovery” is a reminder that progress comes through curiosity, experimentation, failure, and iteration.

5. Humility & Communication Matter
   His willingness to speak about policy, behavior, and the human side of medicine shows that a scientist’s role goes beyond the lab bench.

Conclusion

Harold E. Varmus stands as a paradigm of what a 21st-century scientist can be: a rigorous researcher, institutional visionary, public intellectual, and advocate for open science. His discoveries in cancer biology changed medicine; his leadership changed institutions; his advocacy changed how knowledge is shared.

For those curious to dive deeper into timeless insight, I invite you to explore more of his scientific writings and quotes. His life reminds us that the marriage of courage, curiosity, and conscience can reshape science and society.