His Own Words

"Human genetics can be summarized in this basic creed: In the beginning is the message, and the message is in life, and the message is life. And if the message is a human message, then the life is a human life.”

“It is truly music—the most primal music of all, because it is the first music heard by every human ear. A symphony for two hearts, the mother’s and the child’s: That is the song of our first world, the place we all come from.”

“The task is immense—but so is Hope.”

The physician:

“Hate the disease, love the patient: That is the practice of medicine.”

“A patient is a patient, regardless of size. That is the Hippocratic oath.”

“At universities, I have often seen extremely intelligent people holding conferences, nodding as they considered whether their children were some of sort of animals when they were very young. But at the zoo, I have yet to see a conference of chimpanzees consider whether their children would grow up to be college professors !”

The researcher:

“When a researcher meets with an obstacle, his skill lies in going around it until he finds a door he can open.”

“We will beat this disease. It’s inconceivable that we won’t. It will take much less intellectual effort than sending a man to the Moon.”

“Fundamental genetics should not be a smug, narcissistic exercise in description that settles for abstract conclusions…. It should be a passionate, committed quest for true knowledge—knowledge that will finally enable us to do something for those who suffer.”

“it is not medicine we should fear, but the folly of mankind. Every day, the experience of our predecessors increases our ability to change nature by using his own laws. But using this power wisely is what each generation must learn in its turn. We are certainly more powerful today than ever before, but we are not wiser: Technology is cumulative, wisdom is not;”

The believer:

“The creator abides by his own laws. It’s our job to find out what they are.”

“We call on all people of good will to ensure that health protection in grounded in a renewed spirituality : every patient is my brother.”

“Religion and science: How could there be a contradiction between what is true and the truth? It’s always science that lags behind.”

“We need to be clear : the quality of a civilization can be measured by the respect it has for the weakest members. This is no other criterion.”

“Our conduct is determined by one directive and one directive only; the argument that never deceives; the standard for judging everything; the words of Jesus himself: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”