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Love and Science: A Memoir
Long before he became one of the world's most celebrated immunologists, Jan Vilcek began life in Slovakia as the child of Jewish parents at a time when Jews were being exterminated all across Europe. He owes his and his mother’s survival to the courage of brave people and good luck. As a young man growing up in Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of the Second World War, Vilcek went to medical school and chose a career in virology and immunology at a time when these fields were still in their infancy. While still in his twenties he published a paper in the prestigious journal Nature , and he hosted the first international conference on interferon. Fleeing Communist Czechoslovakia with his wife Marica, Vilcek continued his research at NYU School of Medicine, going on to establish a highly successful career in biomedical research, and creating one of the most important and trailblazing medicines of our age.
After his arrival in the US in 1965 as a penniless refugee, he soon went on to spearhead some of the key advances in the research of interferon that enabled its therapeutic application, and through his research into tumor necrosis factor (TNF) made advances that led to the discovery of new genes and proteins and signaling pathways, opening up previously uncharted areas of medical innovation that have led to important new treatments for a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Along the way Vilcek acquired material wealth he had never aspired to, catapulting him into the world of philanthropy.
Love and Science shows how advances in science sometimes result from the greatest disappointments, and how achievement in medical research is usually a team effort, where ideas are shared, where friendship and love sometimes matter most and serendipity is as important as a will to succeed—and where, over time, the least expected thing sometimes becomes the most important. In Vilcek's case the vaunted cure for cancer that many saw in TNF never materialized. However, out of the ashes of that hope came many related treatments that have changed countless lives and alleviated much suffering.
After his arrival in the US in 1965 as a penniless refugee, he soon went on to spearhead some of the key advances in the research of interferon that enabled its therapeutic application, and through his research into tumor necrosis factor (TNF) made advances that led to the discovery of new genes and proteins and signaling pathways, opening up previously uncharted areas of medical innovation that have led to important new treatments for a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Along the way Vilcek acquired material wealth he had never aspired to, catapulting him into the world of philanthropy.
Love and Science shows how advances in science sometimes result from the greatest disappointments, and how achievement in medical research is usually a team effort, where ideas are shared, where friendship and love sometimes matter most and serendipity is as important as a will to succeed—and where, over time, the least expected thing sometimes becomes the most important. In Vilcek's case the vaunted cure for cancer that many saw in TNF never materialized. However, out of the ashes of that hope came many related treatments that have changed countless lives and alleviated much suffering.
- GenresScienceBiography Memoir
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 9, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2025
Jan Vilcek is an inspirational figure in science, with an incredible life story and an amazing legacy. Being a groundbreaking immunologist, among the first to create anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies (a paradigm-shifting therapy in autoimmune disease), and giving away the majority of his royalties to start a foundation to support immigrants to the US active in science and the arts — I really wish I had known about him from school.
The chapters about his early life in Slovakia, up to his defection, were so familiar and vivid that they almost felt like listening to a family friend. Some chapters contained too many names, and I struggled to follow the narrative.
The chapters about his early life in Slovakia, up to his defection, were so familiar and vivid that they almost felt like listening to a family friend. Some chapters contained too many names, and I struggled to follow the narrative.
February 18, 2016
Love and Science, a Memoir by Jan Vilcek is a rewarding read for a much wider audience than its title might at first glance suggest. If you are interested in Crohn’s disease and related autoimmune conditions, or in the translation of arcane science into medical therapies, or in the experiences of Jewish refugees from central European Nazism and Communism, or in philanthropy in behalf of highly accomplished immigrants to America in the sciences and the arts, you will find it engrossing. It is also an adventure story of a modest, unprepossessing and quite admirable scientist and his art historian wife.
Vilcek was a key figure in the development of Remicade, a critical drug for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and related autoimmune conditions. Though such a renowned scientist might have been excused for writing a dense, jargon-filled, and self-important account of this achievement, Vilcek writes about the causes of these diseases and the process by which his lab was able to develop Remicade in simple and clear prose that can be understood by the intelligent layperson. Anyone who is afflicted with -- or is concerned about someone so afflicted -- will find the first fifty pages of this book to be very rewarding. These pages also illuminate the sociology and economics of scientific discovery. Vilcek leads the reader through the sequence of scientific breakthroughs that lay the groundwork for the discovery of Remicade and helps us understand the relationships between scientific labs, university bureaucracies, and private sector entrepreneurs that were involved. He describes his insights and decisions that were part of this process, but is also clear that luck was very instrumental in his success. And he is clear that his good fortune results in part from the costs paid by patients who are helped by Remicade: it does not cure the conditions it treats and so must be acquired over many years, and, as marketed by Johnson and Johnson, it is very expensive.
Vilcek is also remarkably candid in writing about the challenges of adjusting to the extraordinary wealth that accrued to him and his wife as a result of the flow of royalties from the sales -- over $10 billion per year recently -- of Remicade. Rather than figuring out -- as many would have done -- how they could elevate their standard of living to spend most of this unexpected wealth, they reflected on how they could use it primarily to benefit others. Their decision to dedicate a substantial share of their flow of royalties to the NYU School of Medicine, when combined with the royalties that the school received from Vilcek’s development of Remicade, may well have kept that institution afloat. Their decision to commit another share to a program of awards for immigrants to the United States who have made highly significant contributions to the fields of biomedicine and the arts makes sense only in light of the second major section of the book.
We learn that Vilcek came of age as a Jewish boy in a non-religious family in Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak region (and now country) of the then-Czechoslovakia. He describes the perils of growing up under Nazi regimes and the means whereby he and his nuclear family avoided getting caught up in the net that led so many Jews to extermination. He shares with us the path that took him to medical school and to research on viruses rather than clinical practice. We learn about the cross-pressures that led him and his wife Marica (pronounced Mar IT za) to forego the very constrained but reasonably comfortable life of a scientist in communist Czechoslovakia for the high risk challenges of defection and the uncertainties of how he would be able to make a living as a practicing scientist in the United States. The striking feature of this narrative is how Jan and Marica shifted their identities from refugee defectors from Communism to Americans who decided to speak to each other only in English. Vilcek writes that they did so because -- unlike many of their Czech and Slovak-speaking friends who were living in the Czechoslovakian past --“we did not want to feel like perpetual strangers in our new home.”
Stanley J. Heginbotham
Bronx, NY
Vilcek was a key figure in the development of Remicade, a critical drug for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and related autoimmune conditions. Though such a renowned scientist might have been excused for writing a dense, jargon-filled, and self-important account of this achievement, Vilcek writes about the causes of these diseases and the process by which his lab was able to develop Remicade in simple and clear prose that can be understood by the intelligent layperson. Anyone who is afflicted with -- or is concerned about someone so afflicted -- will find the first fifty pages of this book to be very rewarding. These pages also illuminate the sociology and economics of scientific discovery. Vilcek leads the reader through the sequence of scientific breakthroughs that lay the groundwork for the discovery of Remicade and helps us understand the relationships between scientific labs, university bureaucracies, and private sector entrepreneurs that were involved. He describes his insights and decisions that were part of this process, but is also clear that luck was very instrumental in his success. And he is clear that his good fortune results in part from the costs paid by patients who are helped by Remicade: it does not cure the conditions it treats and so must be acquired over many years, and, as marketed by Johnson and Johnson, it is very expensive.
Vilcek is also remarkably candid in writing about the challenges of adjusting to the extraordinary wealth that accrued to him and his wife as a result of the flow of royalties from the sales -- over $10 billion per year recently -- of Remicade. Rather than figuring out -- as many would have done -- how they could elevate their standard of living to spend most of this unexpected wealth, they reflected on how they could use it primarily to benefit others. Their decision to dedicate a substantial share of their flow of royalties to the NYU School of Medicine, when combined with the royalties that the school received from Vilcek’s development of Remicade, may well have kept that institution afloat. Their decision to commit another share to a program of awards for immigrants to the United States who have made highly significant contributions to the fields of biomedicine and the arts makes sense only in light of the second major section of the book.
We learn that Vilcek came of age as a Jewish boy in a non-religious family in Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak region (and now country) of the then-Czechoslovakia. He describes the perils of growing up under Nazi regimes and the means whereby he and his nuclear family avoided getting caught up in the net that led so many Jews to extermination. He shares with us the path that took him to medical school and to research on viruses rather than clinical practice. We learn about the cross-pressures that led him and his wife Marica (pronounced Mar IT za) to forego the very constrained but reasonably comfortable life of a scientist in communist Czechoslovakia for the high risk challenges of defection and the uncertainties of how he would be able to make a living as a practicing scientist in the United States. The striking feature of this narrative is how Jan and Marica shifted their identities from refugee defectors from Communism to Americans who decided to speak to each other only in English. Vilcek writes that they did so because -- unlike many of their Czech and Slovak-speaking friends who were living in the Czechoslovakian past --“we did not want to feel like perpetual strangers in our new home.”
Stanley J. Heginbotham
Bronx, NY
January 1, 2019
I've been devouring memoirs by biologists for an academic project, so I thought I might offer some thoughts about his book. Without question, Vilcek comes across as an amazing person, someone who chose to devote his life to the public good. I was astonished by the generosity of devoting millions in royalties to NYU and his dedication to working on behalf of immigrant populations. From the standpoint of a self-contained memoir, though, it definitely needed some work. Some of the isolated stories are absolutely riveting and had me blasting through the text - in particular, the story of his life under the Nazi occupation and his immigration to the United States. When dealing with the science, however, he was focused too much on being exhaustive - getting all the names crammed into a short space - rather than telling the human story behind the discoveries. Basically, I felt like it needed a stronger focus and needed to be condensed more on the most important events. On the whole, I think it's worth a look - I learned quite a bit about virology, and the stories about his childhood are lovingly done.
March 20, 2021
To commemorate my 20th anniversary of taking the drug Remicade, I wanted to learn more about the history of its development. I am grateful for Remicade -- it has absolutely stopped rheumatoid arthritis for me.
Love and Science was a wonderful book choice for me. Dr Vilcek's discussion of the immune system and the steps leading to the development of the medication are easy to follow for a non-immunologist. It gave me a better perspective into the economics of how these very expensive drugs are developed and the public-private partnerships that supports research and production.
The personal story of the Vilceks fleeing Czechoslovakia was heartbreaking and amazing. The photos of the multicultural labs reminded me that the US is a nation of many. The work these young researchers did together laid the groundwork that has enabled the plethora of new biologic medications we have on the market today.
Lastly the philanthropic support created by the Vilcek Foundation is remarkable. Its supports to immigrant artists and scientists recognizes the many contributions immigrants have made to the US.
Love and Science was a wonderful book choice for me. Dr Vilcek's discussion of the immune system and the steps leading to the development of the medication are easy to follow for a non-immunologist. It gave me a better perspective into the economics of how these very expensive drugs are developed and the public-private partnerships that supports research and production.
The personal story of the Vilceks fleeing Czechoslovakia was heartbreaking and amazing. The photos of the multicultural labs reminded me that the US is a nation of many. The work these young researchers did together laid the groundwork that has enabled the plethora of new biologic medications we have on the market today.
Lastly the philanthropic support created by the Vilcek Foundation is remarkable. Its supports to immigrant artists and scientists recognizes the many contributions immigrants have made to the US.
July 24, 2016
A look inside the private life of one of the leaders of the cytokine revolution. The story behind a billion dollar drug, and the tale of growing up under very forward-thinking parents, then hiding from the Nazis, returning home under communist rule, escaping to the West of the Iron Curtain, and accepting an offer to have a tenure-track position as a young assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine. Much of his portion of the drug sales have been plowed back as gifts to NYU research and medical education, as well as to his foundation that honors immigrants to the US who have made substantial contributions to biomedicine or the arts. The story is told in an interesting and personable style and with a modesty that one rarely encounters. A definite read for those interested in WWII, biomedical science or the biotech industry.
April 30, 2017
Such a pleasure to read about the experiences and insights of one of the most generous philanthropists and successful scientists of our time. Jan and Marica are mensches, true leaders, humble and bold. Their life work is a testament to what has made America unique, a melting pot of quiet immigrants who share their ideas and invest in the next generation.
October 10, 2018
Zajímavá autobiografie významného slovenského mikrobiologa Jána Vilčeka, objevitele léku, který zmírňuje příznaky autoimunitních onemocnění (např. Crohnovy choroby, Bechtěrevovy choroby, psoriázy).
Více: https://naskokjinam.blogspot.com/2018...
Více: https://naskokjinam.blogspot.com/2018...
October 23, 2021
Kniha Láska a veda prináša jedinečný, obdivuhodný životný príbeh slovenského vedca, odborníka na virologiu a imunológiu. Okrem odborných kapitol, v ktorých opisuje svoju vedeckú kariéru, opisuje aj svoj život, detstvo v pohnutej dobe počas druhej svetovej vojny.
Knihu vrelo odporúčam a možno inšpiruje nejedného mladého vedca !
Knihu vrelo odporúčam a možno inšpiruje nejedného mladého vedca !
October 18, 2024
Great autobiography about a important talented Slovak overcoming oppression and greatly contributing to society.
Trully an incredible person.
Trully an incredible person.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews