My parents came to the United States in the early years of this century as part of a wave of Russian Jewish immigrants seeking freedom and opportunity in the New World.

First of all, many human diseases are influenced by, if not caused by mutations in genes.

Small science, which includes most research in the life sciences all over the world, is science directed usually by an individual senior scientist and a small team of junior associates, perhaps three, ten, fifteen, something in that order.

So I applied to medical school and received a scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University turned out to be a lucky choice. The faculty was scholarly and dedicated and accessible to students.

At every stage of my career I have had interesting and cordial colleagues, some of whom are close friends.

As I look back on the last few decades of my life, I am struck by the good fortune that came my way.

The glimpses of human strength and frailty that a physician sees are with me still.