'Have passion for your study'
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Louis J. Ignarro, center, a Nobel laureate and professor of pharmacology at UCLA School of Medicine, poses with medical students at Konkuk University in Seoul, July 2. / Courtesy of Konkuk University
Nobel laureate launches mentoring program at Konkuk University
By Bahk Eun-ji
Being passionate about studying and diligence are much more important than having a smart brain, said Louis J. Ignarro, a Nobel laureate and professor of pharmacology at UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
“A Nobel Prize is not only for special people. It is for someone who can make steady and persistent effort for area of study to which they are attracted,” he said during a mentoring session with 10 medical students at Konkuk University in Seoul early this month.
“Being patient is the most important as a researcher especially in this field and for the Nobel Prize. No one can calculate how much time it will take to discover new things. In that sense, having passion for your study and constant effort are way more critical than having a smart brain,” he said.
“I’d say I was less intelligent than my fellow students but I spent way more time on my study and research in order to cover it. Time, effort, and my passion for science led me to win the Nobel Prize, I believe,” he said.
Prof. Ignarro won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of nitric oxide (NO) as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system with
and
in 1998. His discovery contributed to new treatments that can lower blood pressure and reduce cardiac diseases.
He visited Korea from July 1 to 5 to launch the “Nobel Mentoring” program which will continue for one year. He has been collaborating with a team of researchers at Konkuk University for the development of cardiovascular treatments since March 2008.
He said he was surrounded by many smart friends that encouraged him to work harder.
“Seriously, they were helping me to study harder, as I was aware of myself and that my IQ might be lower than theirs, but I was more passionate,” he said.
“During that time, I learned I have to compete with myself, not with others. If you think like this, you’ll feel a bigger sense of achievement while you are studying,” he added.
Prof. Ignarro stressed the importance of constantly asking “why?” and “how?” about everything.
He said asking “why?” is really important even if it is tiny little things that everybody takes for granted.
Asking “why” keeps you wanting to constantly research without feeling bored, he said.
“The words ‘giving up’ are not in a scientist’s dictionary, so don’t be afraid of asking why and finding the answers,” he added.
Ignarro also pointed out the important role of professors and parents in determining the performance of students.
He said providing consistent motivation is also crucial for students to study, pointing out that teachers should play a pivotal role as great motivators.
“Whichever you choose to study, all of them are equally important and necessary. You don’t really have to decide in which field you are going to be a specialist right now but you have to ponder long what you really want to study in your life,” the professor said after he asked students in which field they want to be experts in the future.
He insisted that everything is worth making an effort for, but the most important thing is to make an effort consistently.
The professor has conducted numerous researches and contributed to the development of cardiovascular science for 30 years, and he said “love for science and craving for knowledge” have definitely been his impetus.
“His advice is very useful for me. I’ll be a passionate medical scientist who keeps challenging my research,” said Jung Min-ji, a student of the medical school, after attending the meeting with the professor.
Prof. Ignarro and Han Dong-wook, a professor of stem-cell biology at Konkunk University signed a memorandum of understanding to develop new medicine based on stem-cell biotechnology. Han had his paper published in Cell Stem Cell, an internationally renowned science journal.