Zoomedia Blog
Yesterday, Dr. Judah Folkman, the pioneering cancer researcher whose passion and commitment resulted in a whole new field of medicine, died. I was driving to work listening to his friends and associates on NPR talk about Dr. Folkman's relentless pursuit of ideas and passion for learning. It struck me that even though I had never met Dr Folkman and even though I am not a scientist by training this man had been part of my life. When I joined Zoomedia in 1997 I was a theater designer who knew little about the Internet and even less about scientific research. Today, I am passionately committed to the advancement of science and the communication of those advances to the public. Without Dr. Folkman's pursuit of ideas and innovative approach to cancer research I would never have started that journey of learning.
In 1998, SUGEN, a biotech startup in Redwood City, asked Zoomedia to develop a corporate website that would help explain the company's new approach to cancer therapy. My job was to work on an animated piece called "Angiogenesis Magnified".
"Hey Barbara, can you draw a few screens to show what happens when tumors grow and become hypoxic, and synthesize and secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and how this growth factor, or molecular messenger, sends a signal to nearby blood vessels that triggers the activation, division, and migration of endothelial cells that line the blood vessel walls and how that results in the sprouting of capillaries from the blood vessels and into the VEGF-secreting tumor..." "Oh and we need it by Tuesday..." "Umm, sure, no problem..." and so I began to learn.
In 1998, the idea of communicating science to broad audiences on the Internet was an idea that Zoomedia was very excited by but we were limited by the Internet itself. Connectivity was slow, downloading images gave you enough time to go get a cup of coffee, and creating the work in the first place took hours of interviewing the scientists working on new research and then sketching, scripting and visualizing something that even they could not fully explain. The resulting animation had to be absolutely scientifically correct, easily understood, and delivered through a web browser. You can see the results of the "Angiogenesis Magnified" project below.
Today, we are streaming Flash videos, creating 3D animations, working in virtual environments like Second Life, and pushing the limits of the Internet to deliver critical information to patients, physicians, scientists, the media,and investors. What we are capable of and what the Internet allows us to do is so far ahead of 1998 it's hard to remember where we started. The things I have learnt and much of the cancer-related science we illustrate and communicate would not have been possible without Dr. Folkman. SUGEN meanwhile, was acquired by Pharmacia, Pharmacia was acquired by Pfizer - Pfizer's drug Sutent (one of SUGEN's original angiogenesis inhibitors) was approved in 2006 and was the first new cancer drug to be approved for two indications simultaneously - gastrointestinal stromal tumors and renal cell cancer (RCC).
Dr. Folkman's work has allowed many of my personal friends and family to benefit from drugs like Sutent, Thalidomid and Avastin that may not have been possible without his ceaselessly creative approach in seeking new paths to cancer treatment. The pursuit of new cancer treatments is far from over and the communication of how scientific advances impact our health and our future is ever more critical. Thank you Dr. Folkman for your inspiration.
Barbara
Tags: Product Strategy, Global Strategy, Oncology