Anyone who doubts that
depression is a disease, or that it interferes with
productivity to the detriment of the sufferer, the nation, and humankind, should consider the story of
Douglas Prasher, a scientist who might well have won the Nobel Prize and who today earns less than ten dollars an hour driving a shuttle bus for a
Toyota dealership in Huntsville, Alabama. I had not been aware of Prasher's story until I read about it in the
Science Times today, but apparently it has been covered in the
local press and on
National Public Radio.
This month, Roger Tsien, of UC San Diego, Martin Chalfie of Columbia University, and Osamu Shimomura, of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on a fluorescent jellyfish protein that can be used to tag cell constituents. Their discoveries were based on Prasher's.He isolated the relevant gene — and gave the information away freely. He understood how the protein the gene codes for could be used as a tracer molecule. And he began to elaborate the gene and protein structures. Generously, Chalfie has said, "They could've easily given the prize to Douglas and the other two and left me out." Another colleague is has called Prasher's current situation a "staggering waste of talent."
But for various reasons - none of the press sources is very clear - Prasher was sidetracked, first into other scientific work and then out of research altogether. The one consistent part of the story is a reference to recurrent depression. Of course, this vague information does not constitute a diagnosis. We don't know what Prasher suffers. But "depression" is the shorthand for the condition, and it will do — because depression blights careers in just this way. It causes job interruptions and then underemployment. In time, a young genius has exhausted his life savings and is driving a courtesy bus.
For his sake and our own, here's wishing Douglas Prasher whatever help he needs - and a speedy return to his calling.
