Till & McCulloch are Doctors James Till and Ernest McCulloch who, while studying the effect of radiation on the bone marrow of mice at the Ontario Cancer Institute, in Toronto, demonstrated the existence of multipotent stem cells in 1961.
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Collaborative, Pioneering Work
Now recognized as the Fathers of Stem Cell Science, Till & McCulloch exemplified the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in scientific research and have received many awards for their collaborative and ground-breaking research. (See Honours and Recognition below.)
They first published their findings of the discovery of stem cells in the journal Radiation Research. In later work, joined by graduate student Andy Becker, they cemented their stem cell theory and published the results in the journal Nature in 1963.
After their pioneering discovery, Till & McCulloch continued to help this new field develop; not only by continuing to expand their research activities, but also by mentoring other young scientists. Together, Till & McCulloch spawned successive generations of scientists who continue to deepen the understanding of how the different types of stem cells work and their application to different diseases and medical conditions—many have also become globally recognized leaders in their field. Scientists that were under the direct supervision of Till or McCulloch, were members of their research group, or were co-authors of papers, include the following:
Both Till & McCulloch continued to make significant contributions to their field, and to the broader discipline of science.
Dr. Till's focus shifted increasingly towards the evaluation of cancer therapies and quality of life issues in the 1980s. He has held a wide range of positions in organizations ranging from the Stem Cell Network to Project Open Source to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and many others. Among them, Dr. Till is:
Dr. McCulloch continued to expand the depth of work in his field with a heavy emphasis on cellular and molecular mechanisms affecting the growth of malignant blast stem cells from the blood of patients with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia. Unfortunately, Dr. McCulloch died on January 20, 2011, shortly before the 50th anniversary of the publication of the 1961 paper in Radiation Research.
Honours and Recognition
Till & McCulloch have received many awards for their collaborative and ground-breaking research. Together, James Till and Ernest McCulloch were:
Their scientific work has also earned them many individual awards including: