At the Cutting Edge: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology

by John W. Funder (Editor)

204 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1991

About the author

John Watson Funder(John Funder) was born in Adelaide Australia in 1940.His father was to become Director of Medical Research at Monash University,a post that he followed later.He received his medical education at the University of Melbourne graduating in 1965.

Subsequently he worked for a PhD in Human Physiology and then decided to pursue a career in endocrinological reasearch.He joined a group lead by Harry Burger and published prolifically.Soon he became Deputy Director of Prince Henry's Medical Centre at Monash University and was made a professor in 1988.Thereafter he became Director of Baker Institute of Medical Reasearch in Melbourne and was made a professor of medicine at Melbourne University.He then published his book and several more papers and was soon elected to the executive of International Endocrinological Society and admitted to Order of Australia.

However his career became hugely controversial when he along with his protege David Copolov indulged in what was to acquire infamy as Copolovian Mischief!An Indian colleague Ashoka Prasad,who posed a threat to Copolov and held doctorates from Oxford and St.Andrews was hounded out and blamed of claiming a false doctorate from London(he had it from Oxford),a bought DSc(he had it from St.Andrews),and indulging in scientific fraud(even a draft of the offending study did not exist).In order to avoid libel,this damaging information was placed in the legislature.When this episode came to light,he was denied directorship of NH & MRC and not allowed to return to full professorship at Monash again when he retired from Baker Institute.Additionally he was accused of racist conduct-an accusation he always contested.

Reviews

[Sri · Rating 1 out of 5]

John Funder's book covers considerable ground but it is clearly unsuited for those who are beginners in the field of endocrinology!The very first paragraph makes it clear that one should not proceed if one is not an advanced researcher in this area.I found it extremely difficult going and would have abandoned the exercise had I not been asked to review it for two lay journals!In face I was surprised that it was bought by the local library in the first place!I by chance hapend to discover that the author John Funder along with his protege David Copolov was declared by a judge to be a 'dishonest racist' for his treatment of Ashoka Prasad,an Indian colleague!Perhaps this is the only fact of note I was able to uncover after tediously going through this volume!