The science behind how cells communicate with Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas

What does it take to understand how cells communicate and organize themselves into a functioning organism? In this episode of The Curious Mindset, we sit down with Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, 2025 recipient of the Canada Gairdner International Award, to explore his pioneering work on the Notch signalling pathway and its impact on developmental biology. From the model organisms that helped unlock fundamental biological questions to the technologies shaping the future of science, Dr. Artavanis-Tsakonas reflects on what continues to fascinate him about discovery. We also discuss the importance of choosing the right people, creating supportive research environments, and giving scientists the freedom to fail and follow their curiosity. Beyond the science, Dr. Artavanis-Tsakonas shares his thoughts on the future of science, as well as his passions for fishing, painting, and lifelong curiosity. ------------------- This interview is part of The Curious Mindset series:    • The Curious Mindset   Presented in partnership with: Gairdner Foundation - https://www.gairdner.org/ RCIScience - https://www.rciscience.ca/ The Curious Mindset series is sponsored by Telus Health and hosted by Carrie Boyce (Executive Director, RCIScience) and Celia Du (Programs Manager, RCIScience). Video production by Elias Harisis, 2Frames Media, http://2frames.ca/ Special thank you to: Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School; Professor Emeritus, Collège de France Learn more about Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas: https://www.gairdner.org/winner/spyro... ------------------- 00:00 - The Gairdner Awards and the people behind the science 00:52 - How do you build a great scientific team? 01:23 - Why cell communication still fascinates him 02:16 - The early days of Notch research 03:22 - Why flies are such powerful model organisms 04:24 - How technology has transformed biology 05:31 - What has changed in science and what hasn't? 06:41 - The consequences of attacks on science 07:51 - The future of science: AI, computing and omics 08:41 - Can science help solve humanity's biggest challenges? 09:30 - Should science be depoliticized? 10:38 - How to foster creativity in the next generation of scientists 11:53 - The mentors who shaped his career 12:21 - What makes a good scientific lab? 13:07 - A day in the life: Fishing for 300-pound tuna 14:50 - Painting, reading and life outside the lab 16:08 - How he hopes his work will inspire future scientists 16:38 - What if he hadn't become a scientist? 17:42 - The song that shaped a generation