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TELEGRAPHIC AND CABLE AODRESS A.C.T. BOX 4, G.P.O.
“NATUNIV " CANBERRA “-+ CANBERRA, A.C.T

2end December, 1959. ;

Professor J. Lederberg,

Department of Genetics, 4
Stanford University,

STANFORD. CALIFORNIA. U.S.A.

 

Degr Josh,

 

oe

With Courtice in Experimental Pathology and Ogston coming. to take
charge of a Department of Physical Biochemistry the available space in the
John Curtin School of Medical Research ia now almost occupied; and #e-are
concerned with the best usage of the 1-1 floors still available. Gere is
general agreement that these should be occupied by men who are primarily
biologists rather than chemists, and, the fields which are under serious
consideration are pharmacology andg@enetics. Some of those able to judge ..
the field believe that it will bégmpossible to get a good pharmacologist; Bs
and there is increasing support ff the idea that the new department should
be genetics. A new slant has beén given to this by @ suggestion from
Frankel (who is now on the University Council) that a department of Human
Genetics be established. What he has in mind especially is the fact that
in the New Guinea highlands there is unique human materials; and the results
with Kuru and recent bloodgroup studies. certainly support this view. Also,
of course, it looks as though humapecell genetics will come good sodn. oe
There is in Australia one man wha efficient on ©
the bloodgroup genetical work and iJ. Walsh
of the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Unit in Sydney - but he is not trained
as a geneticist and is probably not widely known abroad.

 

    
   
  

  
  

I was asked by the School Committee to seek your views on
this subject - both the general one of Genetics or Human Genetics, and
the specific one of the man. There will be, within two or three years,
a Readership in Viral Genetics in my own Department so I think that the
emphasis should probably not be on microbial genetics - unless you'd
like to come to the peace and quiet of Canberra! - or perhaps Pontecorvo.

I'd welcome your advice.
With best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

hate

Frank Femer.