A Bermudian doctor is finding international recognition for cutting-edge research into cancers – including one which is among the largest causes of deaths in men.

Dr. Sheldon L. Holder, 32, has identified an inhibitor in an enzyme called PIM-1, that has been implicated in the development of some human cancers including leukaemia and prostate cancer, which affects men.

His research findings have earned him the cover of the prestigious Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, which is published by the American Association of Cancer Research.

"Currently, chemotherapy is used to treat cancer which causes damage to non-cancerous cells and can have serious side effects," Dr. Holder said.

He added: "The discovery of a specific inhibitor of the PIM-1 kinase allows scientists to better study the specific function of the kinase in normal and cancerous cells.

"A better understanding of the specific functions of the PIM-1 kinase may reveal additional proteins involved in the development and propagation of cancer.

"The more we know about the mechanisms involved in the development of cancer, the more targets we have to treat cancer. However the benefit of a PIM-1 kinase inhibitor does not stop there.

"The Pim-1 kinase inhibitor that we have identified may also serve as a model or template for the development of therapeutic inhibitors that may one day be used to treat cancers that depend on the PIM-1 kinase to grow and divide."

The study was part of Dr. Holder's dissertation research towards his PhD, but from a young age, Dr. Holder enjoyed the study of science and the human body.

Dr. Holder was born and raised in Bermuda. He began his formal education at Bermuda Institute and attended Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama where he earned a B.Sc. in Biology.

Dr. Holder subsequently attended Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, where he completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and also earned an M.D.

He is currently employed at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he is finishing the first year of a three-year Internal Medicine Residency programme.

He plans to pursue fellowship training in Hematology/Oncology upon the completion of his current programme. "After completing fellowship training, I envision a career that involves direct patient care along with continued active research," he said.

When not in the hospital or the laboratory, Dr. Holder enjoys listening to and playing music. He played the Double Tenor in the Bermuda Institute Steel Band while in high school and the Del Rosa Seventh Day Adventist Steel Orchestra while in Medical and Graduate School. He also enjoys digital photography.

He is married to his college sweetheart, Dr. Kelly Holder, who is a clinical psychologist. They have one daughter, Darby.

Dr. Holder attributes the successful attainment of his goals to his faith. "While it may not be common for scientists to trust heavily in God, for me, God is the foundation of both my personal and my professional life," he said

Dr. Sheldon L. Holder is the son of Dr. Leslie Holder and Mrs. Sheila Holder.

His father said: "We are very proud as parents, we feel very blessed that both he and his brother, Leslie Jr., the chief accountant for CTravel, resisted peer pressure and have become productive citizens making positive contributions to society.

"We are also happy that they both held close to their spiritual values which served as a guidance throughout their schooling.

"Sheldon was always an outstanding student who excelled academically which earned him scholarships, in estimation of $223,000, to fund his academic journey for seven years which was a blessing to my wife and me. The only part which was really taxing on us, was that he was all the way in California, but it paid off in the end."

PIM -1, has not yet reached the stage where it has been tested in patients with cancer, said Dr. Holder.

"The inhibitor that we have described inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory," he said.

He will be in Bermuda for the Corange Science Week at Bermuda College in early 2009. Each year, the college features a successful Bermudian to promote a career in science.