Mat s plan, obtain a PhD, the union card needed to do research, find a cure for cancer, then humbly accept his Nobel Prize. However, circumstances profoundly influenced this plan. After losing his funding in cancer research as a result of political infighting, Mat took a position in the blossoming field of toxicology, an outgrowth of the fears surrounding synthetic chemicals. Although successful in this area, Mat found it difficult to accept that synthetic chemicals or pharmaceuticals were responsible for most human cancers and birth defects. Along the way, he became involved with reproductive and other health problems in dogs and other domestic animals. Determining the cause of these problems led to difficulties with the powers-that-be and loss of his job.