Science is not for sprinters, but for stayers!

V. Stepanov said that genetics described fundamental laws of life, allowed us to get closer to answer the question of our constitution and how life organized. He mentioned genome might be characterized as book of life, and Vadim Stepanov together with colleagues were trying to read and understand that book. To his mind, genome was one of the most interesting issues in modern science.

Professor Stepanov shared his thoughts on genetics in our country. He said that all the time of our life we had to overcome difficulties. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian genetics was at the forefront, in the 30s, the first medical and genetic institute was created in the country. Then genetics was subjected to persecution, repression, and its revival began only at the end of the 60s. What is more, recently - on May 15 – the 86 anniversary of medical genetics was celebrated. It was on that day in 1934 when Solomon Levit, the director of the Institute of Medicine and Biology, made a report "Anthropogenetics and Medicine", in which he laid the foundations of medical genetics in the modern sense. Vadim Stepanov considered that genetics was developed quite well in our country; we had good growth points, significant scientists, interesting developments, results, and achievements. According to his version, in our country, "genetic infrastructure" left much to be desired in comparison with countries-leaders in the world science. He did not see the lag behind other countries in terms of involvement of researchers in solving world scientific problems. Scientists-genetics of Tomsk Research Institute of Medical Genetics worked at high international level.

V. Stepanov informed about issues on material and technical base. Russian government became aware of world-class genomic centers creation. Professor would like to hope those correct and very important initiatives would be implemented properly in the interests of the harmonious development of different areas of genetics and genomics, and in interests of nation.

Professor Stepanov poined out his interest to population and evolutionary genetics - genetics of diseases and population genomics. He noted that the main problem was implementation of large amount of data (big data), and information obtained in the study of that large samples, populations, cohorts of unhealthy and healthy people, which could be used for personalized medicine. The path fr om the population structure to the personal line was not obvious, and he was working in that area. One of the possible aspects was to look at the disease development in evolutionary context. Evolutionary medicine was an attempt to realize the evolution of disease via the evolution of genome and microevolution of the gene pool. Significant part of the diseases widespread in the form of "payment" for humanity evolution. Many "disease genes", genetic variants, had evolutionary causes; there was period when they were adaptive and needed for some reason for humans, although, Professor considered they were harmful, predisposing to the development of diseases in our days. According to Stepanov explanations, genetics of cognitive functions and genetics of some psychiatric diseases were understood as some genetic variants associated, for example, with memory, with Alzheimer's disease or with schizophrenia; those were conditional payment of humanity for passionarity that was needed to learn new things, to settle new land, to get accustomed to other types of housekeeping. Stepanov and his team developed those concepts in a number of projects. For example, one of his laboratory's grant projects was called “Evolutionary Genetics of Obesity”. Researchers were trying to trace how adaptive characteristics of genes involved in the development of obesity changed during the evolution of modern humans and their dispersal across the Earth. Another example was the project "Human population genomics and transcriptomics: search for the signals of non-neutral evolution", in which, on the basis of large genomic and postgenomic data (sequence of complete genomes in people fr om different populations and the reading of transcriptomes, that part of the genome that encoded proteins), were tried to identify such groups of genes that naturally changed their adaptive significance in course of human evolution and such phenotypes, namely diseases that were determined by those genes. A number of large genomic projects were being implemented. Complete genomes were being sequenced to develop approaches for ethno-territorial origination of a person, which was important both for practical implementation, for example, in forensic science and for fundamental purposes. One of the challenges was to find the specificity of the genes that determine the effectiveness of certain drugs. It might occur significant to personalizing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human diseases.

As for his scientific researches, V.Stepanov always fond of work. He graduated fr om the university in 1988, then he had been studing in Novosibirsk graduate school in laboratory of immunogenetics of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Russian Academy of Sciences (Siberian Branch) for a year, where immune system was deeply learned. One of the first organisms that developed immunity was starfish. That study could be considered the beginning of his scientific path. In 1989, V.Stepanov returned to Tomsk, wh ere he studied genetics of atherosclerosis. It was difficult to develop researches of multifactorial diseases that time, those scientific works were just first steps all over the world, and it was very relevant and interesting. Moreover it was the first scientific work that he started by his own. Monograph "Genetics of Lipoprotein Metabolism" was the first scientific publication and written in co-authorship with Valery Pavlovich Puzyrev and Sergei Vasilievich Lemza. The first experimental works appeared later. His first scientific article was published after the monograph, and it was sent to international top-rated magazine "Human Heredity". V.Stepanov  shared that, there was no intention for scientists that time to strive for international publications, to publish abroad, but it was natural for him to act anything to the highest standards.

In view of favorite books, literary genres and what should every person read in his life, V. Stepanov considered that it would never have enough time, effort and money to read everything that a person supposedly should read. Moreover, Professor Stepanov did not have certain preferences in literature. Professor believed that every reading list was individual. He shared that it was not important what in that list “War and Peace”, or “Kolobok”, “Master and Margarita” or “Romeo and Juliet”.  But he was certain that such a background should be formed as early as possible. To his mind he used to read much more - both the classics, and contemporary literature, and Russian and foreign. Professor Stepanov highlighted Latin American neorealism, those were modern writers of the second half of the 20th century, such as Argentinean Julio Cortazar, Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa, Uruguayan Mario Benedetti, Gabriel García Marquez. Many of works were autobiographical; it was an attempt to describe the personality formation in a difficult situation in the world through self-awareness, through an attitude to everything with self-irony. Scientist shared literature had strongly influenced him. He noted that reading English fiction was to maintain language skills betweentimes: Jerome K. Jerome in its original language, Tom Sharp, Henry Wilt trilogy. It was relatively easy to read in absurdly humorous manner.

When it came to a question about dreams, Professor described them as something abstract, distant, something that would never happen to you. Vadim Stepanov noted dreaming was relax, and he prefered to make plans which mobilized and inspired action and were opposite to dreams. He considered the best dream was the plan that came true.

Professor Stepanov shared every person had some kind of meetings that could determined the trajectory of development. Of course, family and parents determined a lot. As for mentors and teachers, he chose field of science in the middle of his study at the university due to Yuri Mikhailovich Novikov. At that time, V. Stepanov was interested in zoology of invertebrates, and it was the course in general genetics that had influenced him completely. V. Stepanov realized that genetics was his future. Then  Valery Pavlovich Puzyrev, who was Stepanov’s scientific tutor, also the founder of Institute of Medical Genetics, directed Vadim Stepanov to definite areas of science, but freedom of choice was given too. Puzyrev was his true teacher in science. An interesting fact: Professor Stepanov defended his Ph.D. thesis in 1995, it was devoted to genetics of lipoprotein metabolism disorders, and his scientific tutor was Valery Pavlovich Puzyrev too. The research was done at the intersection of genetics and cardiology. Academician Rostislav Sergeevich Karpov became the scientific consultant. Professor Stepanov shared success to have V.P. Puzyrev and R.S. Karpov as scientific supervisors of Tomsk SRMC and they were both Stepanov’s scientific tutors.

Professor noted that it was very good for person when he could completely switch his centre stage.  He considered ideal situation when different spheres of life did not overlap. V. Stepanov often wrote articles in his free time. He devoted a significant part of spare time to sport and tried to be dynamically involved, for about 35 years he had been playing tennis regularly; in winter he went downhill skiing, every weekend he went to local tracks. A team of SRMC took part in the Academiada on alpine skiing, wh ere they took 3rd place in the team competition. In summer Professor shared he liked riding a bike and also last few years he had been doing ballroom dancing, it was his wife's hobby. V. Stepanov was certain hobbies could make life diverse.

Vadim Stepanov shared his opinion on limitations and restrictions of professional field. First of all he noted principles changed and we should adapt our lives. Furthermore Professor told he tried to create nuisance as less as he could. As for scientific studies, he changed the direction of researches several times. He considered that it was acceptable for researcher and explorer. V. Stepanov described principles of people communication, principles of leadership; corporate "book of foundations": collegiality of discussion, but firmness in implementation of decisions; delegation of authority and trust in colleagues and partners, but personal responsibility of each for the result. As for medical center management, in any case, Vadim Stepanov shared he always tried to consult with colleagues, with the board of directors of the center, and with their wise scientific leaders regarding all fundamental issues; professor Stepanov said that they resolved all issues together and came to a consensus.

V.Stepanov found a life motto: You can't live under one flag all your life. He detailed life was too varied and too many-sided. Interests in life, curiosity, passion for knowledge, some confidence of abilities help him to move forward. V. Stepanov expressed that mood and self-confidence were important. As for field of science, he said that this was support of scientific team, which had been formed for many years.

Vadim Stepanov shared his opinion about historical figures. Professor told that several billion people had lived before us, among them tens or hundreds of thousands were outstanding. To his mind choosing an idol was also dangerous. Professor Stepanov had scientists - authorities on whose work he guided. For example, the book "The Pathological Anatomy of the Human Genome" was written with V.P. Puzyrev, wh ere ideas about the role of genetics in medicine were presented in a simple, understandable manner. In that part, writings of Victor McCusick were the base. His work was an example of a systematic scrupulous approach to the problem. Scientists followed it to some extent.

In population genetics, V. Stepanov named Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza. He was one of the founders of modern population genetics and human genomics. His work was an example of good, general systematic approach to a scientific problem. In part, Professor was guided by him and his colleagues; V. Stepanov had been lucky to be his co-author in one of the articles.

It was hard for Vadim Stepanov to say who would he become if not a geneticist . At one time, he used to want to be a journalist, and could become quite a good scribbler. In high school, he was preparing to become an international journalist. V. Stepanov was very interested in economics, and could become a stock trader, financial analyst, financier. He considered that such an activity had a component for working with data and a systemic approach. Then, he could become a military man, because he also always felt an interest in military service, which had clear ordering, regulation, adherence to clear rules. All those inclinations were at least partially realized in him. Professor Stepanov found out, that working with data was a part of any scientific job; creative component was also inherent in scientists, adherence to rules in a team also took place. To his opinion those hypostases at least partially had found their embodiment.

Professor Stepanov tried not to give advice, because he understood people were always limited both in understanding what was happening and in realizing their own role. To his mind, as a rule, to give adequate advice was no sense, because life was much more complicated than ideas about it. Some general recommendations (at least three characters) to become a professional in science were given. First, it was interest in what you’re doing to express your potential to the maximum. Secondly, hard-working nature and organization were noted. He said that the path to the goal in science was complex and multi-stage, with many obstacles and failures; patience and hard working nature were need to overcome all those difficulties and achieve success. He considered that science was not for sprinters, but for stayers. Thirdly, irresponsibility was mentioned, because new science was understood as collective action, scientist could realize ideas, achieve something only in a team of like-minded people, and at the same time everyone should be responsible for colleagues.

One of the largest centers in the country is dynamically developing under the leadership of V.A. Stepanov. Thanks to the teamwork of several institutes, the institution has created conditions for scientific and educational activities, implementation of the creative potential of specialists. It is impossible to do such work every day without sincere love for own work, optimism, fortitude and the ability to achieve goals.

Dear Vadim Anatolyevich, we wish you peace, good, and success in your creative work! May your home always be full of love, smiles and warmth, may the life be filled with happiness, understanding and support!