Au flaag Athearn

March 9, 1955

AIMUIATLE

Dr. A. C. Allison
Clinical Patholory Laboratory
University of Oxford

PC AND
Dear Dr, Allisone

It was quite a treat to meet you last summer. “y wife arxl I were
both extremely interested in your account of the sickle cell anemia~
malaria story. I am sorry that you did not get an opvortunity to visit
Madison and my other colleacues,

I am writing now to ask you the favor of keeping me in touch with
v y ping
your work in this field by means of reprints of your publications if
they are and continue to be available.

A question has also come up whether thre is any information
bearing upon the possible occurrence of sickle ecli trait correlated
with resistance to malaria in other, non-human, orimates. Do you think
that such an investigation would be feasible at the present time? If
it were, what do you think would be the best approceh? Should an exe
pedition with the usual attendant costs be sent from abroad, or would
there be any local facilities that could at least co the prelinin ry
screening that might be necessary? I asi: you this not on my own pore
sonal account but to help in the evaluation of a request for a research
grant that is currently being considered by a cox ittee of which I am
amenber. Your carly comment on the feasibility of this kind of pro»
pose would therefore be very greatl, appreciated,

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genct‘ies