Stephen Safe, Ph.D.

20 September 2004

Dr. Stephen Safe is currently a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Environmental and Genetic Medicine, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, at the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center. He received his D.Phil. at Oxford University in 1965. His interests include regulation of nuclear hormone receptors, anticancer drug action, PPARg agonists, selective Ah receptor modulators, gene expression, and molecular mechanisms of action. The research program in his lab is focused on ligand activated receptors such as estrogen receptor a (ERa), peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor g (PPARg) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR).

On September 20, 2004, Dr. Safe came to NIEHS as part of the SBRP Distinguished Lecturer Seminar Series. After his seminar, Dr. Safe was interviewed by the Program Analysis Branch of the Division of Extramural Research and Training. Following are the details of that interview.

• Q: What initially attracted you to a career in science? (0:17) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/01-science.cfm)
• Q: How did your career develop? (0:24) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/02-career.cfm)
• Q: Who have been the most influential people in your career? (1:00) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/03-people.cfm)
• Q: Has the multidisciplinary nature of the Superfund Basic Research Program led you into new fields of research and new opportunities? (0:55) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/04-superfund.cfm)
• Q: When you have an opportunity to interact with non-scientists, how do you describe the importance of your work and its implications in their daily lives? (0:50) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/05-nonscientists.cfm)
• Q: What factors do you use to motivate young people into exploring careers in science and engineering? (0:51) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/06-motivation.cfm)
• Q: What do you think is your most important or exciting discovery or contribution? (0:37) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/07-contribution.cfm)
• Q: The fields of environmental estrogen and endocrine disruption have been controversial and you have personally taken some strong, possibly unpopular stances on them. What are the major influences of your opinions? (1:18) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/08-opinions.cfm)
• Q: If you were starting your career over, is there a new field of science or engineering that would attract your interest? (1:07) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/chat/safe/09-newfields.cfm)