Paul Nurse co-hosts new PBS show with Charlie Rose

The ‘Charlie Rose Science Series’ brings current research, and researchers, into the public eye

by TALLEY HENNING BROWN

Paul Nurse is taking his views on science and society, well known in the Rockefeller community, to a wider forum: a new public television series. Dr. Nurse is co-host, with Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Charlie Rose, of “The Charlie Rose Science Series,” a 12-part, 12-hour series begun last fall as a part of Mr. Rose’s regular PBS talk show. The new series, partially sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, aims to examine the relationship between scientific research and human health through the medium of expert interviews and roundtable discussions.
Two of the 12 planned episodes have aired so far. The first, which was broadcast on October 31, 2006, focused on the human brain; the discussion ranged from psychoanalysis and cognitive neuroscience to the implications of cutting-edge research like brain imaging. Guests were Aaron Beck, Lasker Award recipient, cognitive therapist and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania; Peter Fonagy, professor of psychoanalysis at University College London; Eric Kandel, Nobel laureate, neuroscientist and professor at Columbia University; Nancy Kanwisher, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Phelps, professor of psychology at New York University; Steven Roose, professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons; Rebecca Saxe, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT; and Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The second episode, which aired January 9, was on the scientific and social impact of decoding the human genome. The guests were Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT; Craig Venter, chairman and chief executive of the J. Craig Venter Institute and founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics; and James Watson, Nobel laureate and chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
The collaboration between Mr. Rose and Dr. Nurse began with an initial interview that was televised December 20, 2004, in which the two discussed such varied scientific subjects as cell biology, cancer, the human genome, stem cell research, astronomy and the origin of the universe. That was followed in March, 2005 by a special episode on avian influenza that Dr. Nurse co-hosted. In 2006, Dr. Nurse guest-hosted two episodes of the show while Mr. Rose was recovering from heart surgery.
“Given the major impact that science has on everyday life, it is essential that we engage the public in the debate over the important scientific questions facing us today. Providing information about science through accessible programs like Charlie Rose is a good step in this process,” says Dr. Nurse. “I am delighted to be involved with this effort.”
Topics for future episodes have not been finalized but may include longevity, stem cell research and autism. The series is slated to be recorded and broadcast over the course of 2007 and airs during the regular Charlie Rose time slot on more than 200 PBS stations nationwide, including New York’s WNET/Channel 13. Streaming video of each episode is also available on the internet at charlierose.com.