[Baltimore said his intention to retire as president of the Pasadena-based university was not prompted by any health problem, budget deficit or management disagreements, but rather a sense that he had accomplished his goals as an administrator.] Caltech is a wonderful place, the best place to do science I have ever seen, ... I will have done what I can do [as president], and it is time for somebody else to be thinking about it. I have a fairly extensive life in science and in business that I will pursue. |
AIDS is the most potent and destructive scourge right now in terms of diseases, |
He was a very personally attractive, excited, and thoughtful guy who cared about a wide range of science. When I first heard there was a question about his work, it came as a very great surprise to me. |
I don't think people took it seriously because it was such an obviously unattainable goal. I was surprised, and I know lots of other people were surprised, that he chose a time so near, when we see it as a very difficult problem. |
In the last few years these efforts have been remarkably successful. It has been possible to identify both genes and the proteins involved in cancer induction. |
No one was more surprised than me, |
So I don't know where he cut corners and where he didn't. |
There is an increasing belief that we need to understand the structure better, |
This is not a decision that I have made easily, but I am convinced that the interests of the Institute will be best served by a presidential transition at this particular time in its history, |
Were we to go with 60 percent at NIH reviews, many of us scientists would be very uncomfortable with the quality. |
you do have a certain responsibility to be a spokesman for the scientific community and to represent people. |