Rich lab in Cleveland clinic is the leader for Brain tumor stem cell

Peter Valent, Vienna

Since the cancer stem cell theory started over a decade ago, there may be so many labs meanwhile, basically everywhere, following this trend or claiming they never did anything else. So, I understand you want to look for a good lab in a highly modern but competitive field. Although for most people going to Stanford University, there may be a cultural shock, but it is nicely located and there is a critical mass of stem cell researchers since so many decades, with hundreds of millions invested in this field - although the Nobel prize did not go there. Maybe, if the cancer stem cell theory (developed there) will also lead to new therapies, and there is also a long lasting history of successful cancer research with clinical relation, then this may be an environment I could recommend to anyone to try for a few years.

Hi Matthias, your answer is correct; and if you then click "review" (at the left) the result will be 1253 - i.e. more than a quarter of those publications is a review ! BTW, a similar percentage results, if you check for "cancer stem cell" (singular) with about 2000 hits, including about 500 reviews. I remember Irv Weissman giving a major laudatory lecture for Hugh McDevitt for his biggest prize in immunology in Montreal in 2004 with about 5.000 people in the hall, that he, Irv, mentioned that in the beginning of (t)his theory there were more reviews than original articles appearing. I asked my usual question there how the tumor progression and the metastatic step as an early or later step would fit in - and, as far as I remember, Irv answered the stem cells of course would have the ability to migrate and metastasize from the beginning.

So, pubmed may clearly show who is publishing where in which journal, which may reflect the current funding situation, but there are usually some researchers "initiating" or "pioniering" a new field - and many who are good in "following" - and to my view the original labs, after a few years can never keep with all the new labs, but then a new field gets old, and others come. If a group leader is lucky, it often is only about 5 years of success, then other fields become the "state of the art", but "tumor stem cells" appears to offer many carreer opportunities, especially if the originator of this question here can find a lab with neighboring industrial developments, cooperations, start-ups or established biotech and pharma companies. As far as I remember, California, including Stanford invested a lot in "stem cell" research in many areas over the last decade, including "cancer stem cells". Maybe others can add which areas invest similarly much, or, perhaps, more ?

I am doing search from pubmed, google scholar and other resources, but I would also like to hear some advice from people who work in this field or know more than me. I am looking for a potential of bringing cancer stem cell research in my future research direction and hopefully build more with my previous and current background. Thanks everyone! Thank you, Dr. Eibl, for devoting your time typing long and valuable answers!

I am glad, Thank You so much, Ling Tao, for considering my answers valuable !

I have seen from your publications that you will progress into a slightly new research field of your choice, so it is in my view more than reasonable to use many different sources - including ResearchGate - to make such an important decision of your future carreer.

I'm in the Stem Cell Institute at Stanford University. There was no culture shock for me at all - it is a very collaborative and cutting-edge environment. I don't work in his lab, but the Weissman lab seems to rule the roost around here ( http://stemcell.stanford.edu/about/Laboratories/weissman/index.html). If you want to work in the lab of a younger investigator with less postdocs, the Ravi Majeti may be a good choice (http://majetilab.stanford.edu/).

I agree with Rob that John Dick's lab would be another strong choice.

I can only advice to really check out any future lab anywhere carefully - it is crucial for the future carreer. I recommended three german medical colleagues into Stanford, one became a professor, the other two found their way into their fields; I think for many Europeans and all those, not perfectly speaking english (like myself) there can be some related problems, which most others sure won't face. At my time at Stanford, the incredibly and unbeleivably high rent for appartments was a major issue for probably anyone at the postdoc level without rich parents. The living costs, not only the appartment rent can increase rapidly within short time. To address some of the usual postdoc problems (for international and american postdocs) I once initiated a postdoc newsgroup there, which got part of the administration later - it may have helped to address some of the issues with immediate help from other postdocs and the administration, which once told me, they would not need to answer 400 emails a morning with answering it once on the newsgroup.

I know of some people who where allowed to change their lab or PI after a year or two and still became successful, but it may be better to invest more time to find the perfect lab.

There are many great and new buildings at Stanford now, and the younger group leaders will always be happy to choose from applicants who bring their own stipends or will be able to get one. I once had an interview at Harvard (many years ago) looking for a postdoc position and after 10 min of talking to the assistant professor, I got the OK, if I could get the stipend from Germany, which I did, but it took me 4 months, instead of 3.5 - so my place in the lab was filled...

Http://www.hubrecht.eu/research/clevers/