When Shaun Tierney was diagnosed with an aggressive form of kidney cancer in 2007, the prognosis was grim.
Twelve years on, the 64-year-old is still living an active life, and even participating in marathon walks for cancer research -- an outcome made possible by work that was awarded this year's Nobel prize in medicine.
Tierney's case is a telling illustration of how seemingly esoteric scientific research makes its way from the lab to the real world -- a journey that can save lives.