James Thomson (cell biologist)
The biologist who first isolated human embryonic stem cells, opening a revolutionary new frontier in medicine and ethics.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American developmental biologist·Birthday: December 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
James Thomson didn't just advance a field; he created a new one. Working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998, his team accomplished what many thought was years away: they derived the first human embryonic stem cell line. These cells, with their unique ability to become any tissue in the body, promised a revolution in understanding disease and regenerating damaged organs. Nearly a decade later, Thomson again shifted the paradigm by showing how to reprogram ordinary adult skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), sidestepping the ethical quagmire of embryos. His quiet, determined work provided the fundamental tools for a vast scientific enterprise, making him a foundational figure in modern regenerative biology and forcing a global conversation on science, morality, and human potential.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
James was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Published the landmark paper announcing the first successful derivation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998.
- Co-discovered human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in 2007, a method for reprogramming adult cells.
- His work earned him a place on Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2008.
- Directs regenerative biology research at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Wisconsin.
Did You Know?
He is also a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Pennsylvania.
He initially studied biophysics as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois.
His 1998 stem cell discovery was simultaneously published with similar work on primates.
“Human embryonic stem cells will change the way we practice medicine forever.”
