Till & McCulloch


Working together, biologists James Till and Ernest McCulloch made contributions to stem cell research by demonstrating the existence of multipotent stem cells in 1961. They helped lay the foundation for modern stem cell biology and regenerative medicine through their work while studying the effects of radiation on the bone marrow of mice at the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto.

Collaboration

Till & McCulloch first published their findings of the discovery of stem cells in the journal Radiation Research. In later work, joined by graduate student Andy Becker, they cemented their stem cell theory and published the results in the journal Nature in 1963.
Till & McCulloch then expanded their research activities and mentored other young scientists, some notable. Scientists that were under the direct supervision of Till or McCulloch were members of their research group, or were co-authors of papers, including the following:
Both Till & McCulloch continued their research.
Till's focus shifted increasingly towards the evaluation of cancer therapies and quality of life issues in the 1980s. He has positions in organizations including the Stem Cell Network, Project Open Source, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and others. Among them, Till is:
McCulloch's later research had an emphasis on cellular and molecular mechanisms affecting the growth of malignant blast stem cells from the blood of patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. McCulloch died on January 20, 2011, shortly before the 50th anniversary of the publication of the 1961 paper in Radiation Research.

Recognition

Together, James Till and Ernest McCulloch were:
Their scientific work has also earned them individual awards including:
  • James Till
  • Ernest McCulloch