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John D. Furber, M.Sc.

John D. Furber, M.Sc. is the founder of Legendary Pharmaceuticals. He is an entrepreneur and scientist who has been studying the biology of aging and regeneration for more than 20 years.
 
John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1975, and his Master of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine in 1990. Between degrees, he served the United States Congress as a Technology Policy Analyst in the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment.
 
Legendary Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the discovery of pharmaceutical drugs and gene therapies able to repair and reverse accumulating molecular damage to subcellular mitochondria, lysosomes, nuclei, and extracellular proteins in order to prevent and treat serious, late-onset diseases commonly associated with aging.
 
Teaching: During the 1990’s, he taught Human Biology at Skyline College, near San Francisco, and taught Management Decision Making at Menlo College, near Stanford. During the 1980’s he taught Biology laboratory courses at the University of Kentucky and the University of California. He also started and ran a successful private tutoring service which over the years has helped many students to learn Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, and Computers.
 
Early career: He served four years on Capitol Hill at the Office of Technology Assessment. In 1979, he joined Solar Electric International, which set up photovoltaic-powered irrigation systems for World Bank projects in developing countries. He also started Pleasant Valley Software Corporation (1984) with a consortium of investors from Europe, India, Canada, and the US.
 
Laboratory training: In the mid-1980’s he changed careers and began graduate school to study the biology of aging and regeneration, first at the University of Kentucky, and then at UC Irvine. During graduate school, his studies emphasized Developmental and Molecular Biology. His early laboratory projects included:

  • Investigating distribution patterns of developmental pattern-formation signaling molecules during limb regeneration in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis.
  • Screening the genome of the freshwater hydra for homeobox genes which might be involved in developmental pattern-formation.
  • At Genentech, he participated in purification and analysis of the cloned human insulin receptor protein.
  • Teaching Biology laboratory courses at the University of Kentucky and the University of California.
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