Paul Scotting takes genetics into his own hands

This month Laboratory News meets the geneticist who decided to take matters into his own hands when he couldn’t find the right book to recommend to his students

Paul Scotting is an associate professor of genetics from the University of Nottingham – and he’s recently published his first book. Frustrated by the lack of basic text for his students he set about writing his own – the result was Cancer: A Beginner’s Guide. This month we caught up with Paul – whose father died of cancer shortly before he was born – to find out a bit more about the book and his work.

Paul has focussed on cancer throughout his academic career ­– after gaining a BSc in Microbiology and Virology from the University of Warwick he completed a PhD - funded by the Imperial Cancer Research - at UCL. Since then, he’s been a post-doctoral research assistant at the University of Cambridge, before joining the University of Nottingham, working his way up from lecturer to associate professor at the Institute of Genetics.

What was your motivation behind your new book – Cancer: A Beginner’s Guide?

The motivation was simply that I could not find the book I wanted to recommend to the students I was teaching and this led to a realisation that the public also lacked access to a book that could explain to them the basic of ‘what cancer is’.

Whose is the book aimed at and what does it cover?

The target for the book was a difficult choice. I wanted it to be useful as a ‘light read’ for students studying cancer, either science students or those studying the more medical aspects, such as trainee doctors and nurses. On the other hand, I realised that there was no book that provided a basic explanation of cancer to the general public. I believe I have written a book that will be useful to both these audiences. The topics range from the history of cancer through its basic biology and causes, to current therapies and modern research towards new therapies. I also spend some time looking at the genetics that explain why some of us are very likely to develop cancer while others are not and, because of my special interest in children’s brain tumours, I consider why, contrary to our understanding that cancer normally takes many decades to develop, children also get cancer.

How does it feel to be a published author?

As an academic at a University publishing papers in journals or chapters in books is a regular activity. However, for me, this book is special. To write a book of any value you have to believe that you have come up with something that no-one else has done. I still find it very surprising that, until now, there was no book available that filled this gap. Having spent two years researching, writing and editing the book, it is hugely satisfying to see it available as a real solid thing. So, I feel very proud of the book. I will really know how I feel when I see how well it sells – but initial indications are very positive. So I feel very gratified that I may, as I had hoped, have met a real need.

You're also an associate professor at the University of Nottingham – tell us what you do here?

I am an associate professor in genetics. My research aims to understand aspects of how cells in the developing embryo become functional parts of the nervous system and how this can go wrong to lead to the formation of brain tumours in children. This latter part of my research is carried out within the Nottingham Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre.

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Any plans for a follow up?

I only felt it was worth writing this book because it needed to be written – there was a gap in the market. I would only want to write another book if I felt that there was another gap to be filled and that I would be a good person to write that book. I therefore doubt that these two criteria are likely to be met. However, since cancer research is so fast moving, I have no doubt that my available spare time could be well filled simply by keeping this book up-to-date.