The Englishman coming to New York

Sir Paul Nurse has never ridden a motorcycle in New York City, and he suspects it might be a bad idea. But if Nurse is resigned to giving up his beloved motorcycle when he moves there next fall to become president of The Rockefeller University, he is determined not to give up his research.

Leaders of scientific institutions should be active practitioners, says Nurse, whose identification of similar cyclin-dependent kinase genes in both fission yeast and human cells was an early demonstration of the astonishing gene conservation between distant species. "It sets the tone for the institution. It isn't always encouraged because of the heavy management time," he told The Scientist. "But it is important that people keep their hands wet."

Lee Hartwell calls Nurse an outstanding choice for the Rockefeller appointment. "It is a coup to get him. Paul is a brilliant research scientist, and since Rockefeller...