Fran Balkwill | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances Rosemary Balkwil 1952 (age 72–73) London, England |
| Education | Surbiton High School |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Scientist and author |
| Known for | Children's books on scientific topics |
| Awards | Michael Faraday Prize (2005) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Queen Mary University of London |
| Thesis | Investigations into the Nature of Human Acute Leukaemia Using Cell Culture Techniques (1977) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gordon Hamilton Fairley |
Frances Rosemary Balkwill (born 1952) is an English scientist, Professor of Cancer Biology atQueen Mary University of London, and author of children's books about scientific topics.
Balkwill was born in south-west London in 1952, and was educated atSurbiton High School. She obtained a BSc in Cellular Pathology at theUniversity of Bristol and a PhD on leukaemia cell biology[1] in the Medical Oncology Department atSt Bartholomew's Hospital supervised byGordon Hamilton Fairley.[2]
She worked for several years at the ICRF Lincoln's Inn Fields (nowCancer Research UK London Research Institute)[3] on the effect ofinterferon on cancer. In 2000 she moved toQueen Mary, University of London, where she is Professor of Cancer Biology and Director of the Centre for Translational Oncology in the Cancer Research UK Clinical Cancer Centre.[2]
In addition to her laboratory research, Balkwill has written many children's books about science, illustrated by Mic Rolph,[4] and is Director of Centre of the Cell, a science education centre for children in the newBarts and The London Medical School building inWhitechapel, east London.[2] Her books for children cover a range of topics in biology. For her first book onHIV and Aids,Staying Alive: Fighting HIV/AIDS (2002), Balkwill and Rolph travelled to South Africa to carry out research and to determine the educational needs of local communities. 19,000 free copies of the book were distributed throughout South Africa, funded by the publisherCold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.[4]
From 2008 to 2011, Balkwill served as Chairman of the Public Engagement Strategy Committee at theWellcome Trust. In 2016 she was a judge for theWellcome Book Prize.[5]
In 2008 Balkwill was awarded anOrder of the British Empire (OBE).[5]
Balkwill's books for childrenCells are Us andCell Wars won theRoyal Society Young People Book Prize in 1991.[6]
She won theEuropean Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Award for Communication in the Life Sciences in 2004.[4] She was awarded theMichael Faraday Prize in 2005 "for her outstanding work in communicating the concepts, facts and fascination of science in a way that appeals to children of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, while at the same time maintaining a distinguished research career".[7] In 2006 she was awardedFellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) for her contributions to and achievements in medicine.[5]
In 2015 she received an Honorary degree from the University of Bristol.[8]
In 2017 she was awarded the Inspiring Leadership in Research Engagement Prize fromCancer Research UK.[9]
In 2021 she received the Beetlestone Award, recognising her leadership and legacy in the field of informal science learning.[10]
In 2024, she was elected aFellow of the Royal Society (FRS).[11]
Balkwill has two children, Jessica and Barnaby. She has 5 grandchildren Sabrina, Esme, Casper, Balthazar and Aurelius.[8]
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