Paul Godowski Staff Scientist: Immunology Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech in 1988, after completing my postdoctoral research at UCSF. I came to Genentech because I thought it was a great place to do research. While I was intrigued by the idea of using the knowledge that I had to develop medicines, at that time I really didn't appreciate how rewarding (and difficult) that process could be. I have been involved in numerous projects to identify and characterize novel human genes involved in controlling the growth and differentiation of cells. The projects include HGF, IL-12, Growth Hormone, Tyrosine Kinase Receptors and Toll Receptors."

Current Projects "We are interested in the contribution of cells of the innate immune system, particularly monocytes and their derivatives, to chronic inflammatory disorders. This is an exciting project because, while this group of cells has been relatively difficult to characterize in the past, a number of new technologies have been developed recently that have allowed us to gain new insights into this question."

Collaborations "The SPDI genomics program was a huge collaborative effort between many departments in Research, as well as Process Sciences and Legal. It was exciting to help organize a multidisciplinary project where people really worked together to accomplish a huge goal."

Inspiration/Vision "I am inspired by the idea that my science has the potential to change people's lives in a positive way. While publications are extremely important, what is even more exciting is that we can use our scientific discoveries to develop therapies that save peoples lives. I can't imagine anything better than that. In five years, I would like to see a number of the novel genes that we have identified through SPDI move into Development."