Former Embryo Project Scholar may have “straightened out the stem-cell field”

“A philosopher may indeed have straightened out the stem-cell field.” -Hans Clevers

Philosopher of science, Lucie Laplane, has published her dissertation with Harvard University Press. The text, Cancer Stem Cells: Philosophy and Therapies, is grounded in philosophy, history, and years of experimental work. Laplane was a member of the Embryo Project as an NSF Visiting Scholar during the Spring semester of 2014 and supported by the Center for Biology and Society. She is a CNRS permanent researacher at the Institut Gustave Roussy, in Paris, France.

Laplane’s work has met with rave reviews from historians, philosophers, and scientists alike. Michel Morange, a noted geneticist and philosopher and historian of science, has said of the book, “If you had any doubts about the utility of philosophy for science, read this book. Its lucid exploration of stem cells will convince you that even cancer therapy can benefit from the lights of philosophy.” While Hans Clevers, a leading expert on cancer therapies and cancer stem cells, has noted that, “A philosopher may have indeed have straightened out the stem-cell field.”