20 May 2011
Royal Society Honour for Professor Doreen Cantrell
Professor Doreen Cantrell, Head of the College of Life Sciences and Vice-Principal of the University of Dundee, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Professor Cantrell is one of 44 new Fellows and eight new Foreign Members elected to the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science. She has been recognized for her internationally renowned work in the field of immunology.
Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society said, 'It is a true pleasure to welcome this year’s new Fellows to the Royal Society. They join the ranks of the UK and Commonwealth’s leading scientists, counting themselves among early Fellows such as Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and Charles Darwin. The Society aims to expand the frontiers of knowledge by championing the development and use of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet. It is the contribution of excellent individuals such as these which makes this possible.'
Professor Cantrell’s election bring the number of Fellows of the Royal Society in the College of Life Sciences at Dundee to 10, one of the highest concentrations of Fellows in the UK.
'I am delighted that Doreen Cantrell, our Head of College, has been recognised by the Royal Society for her outstanding research in immunology,' said Professor Mike Ferguson, Dean of Research in the College of Life Sciences. 'This honour is richly deserved and a great tribute to Doreen and her talented team. This personal honour for Doreen comes hot on the heels of the College's national 'Excellence with Impact' Award given by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which recognised the College of Life Sciences for 'the greatest delivery of impact' among UK Bioscience research departments.'
Professor Cantrell, who also holds a position as a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow in the College, is known internationally for her work on T lymphocyte development and activation, which are key to the comprehension and manipulation of immune responses. She is noted for her multidisciplinary approach and the enlightened combination of biochemical, cell biological, transgenic and gene knock-out technologies.
Professor Cantrell said, 'It is a great honour to be elected to the Royal Society. This fellowship is recognition of the work of all the talented researchers who have worked alongside me. It is also a tribute to my mentors, Kendal Smith and Mike Crumpton, who encouraged my work as a young investigator. I am grateful to Cancer Research UK who supported my ideas for many years and I would like to thank the Wellcome Trust who make it possible for me to work in the College of Life Sciences in Dundee. The College provides an inspiring and supportive environment for research and it is a privilege to work alongside such a brilliant group of scientists.'
The full citation for Professor Cantrell reads:
Professor Doreen Cantrell
Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow, Division of Cell Signalling and Immunology, University of Dundee
Doreen Cantrell is known internationally for her insightful delineation of the molecular cell biological basis of T lymphocyte development and activation, which are key to the comprehension and manipulation of immune responses. Her seminal contributions include identifying key roles for the Ras family GTPases, demonstrating that the cellular location and kinetics of production of signalling lipids are crucial determinants of lymphocyte activation as well as unravelling the downstream serine kinase pathways which ultimately control T-lymphocyte function. She is noted for her multidisciplinary approach and the enlightened combination of biochemical, cell biological, transgenic and gene knock-out technologies.
For a full list of the new Fellows, and for further information, please contact the Royal Society press office. A full list of new Fellows and Foreign Members will be made available online on 20 May at the following link: http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/new-fellows-2011.
For more information contact:
Nicola Kane
The Royal Society
Tel: 0207 451 2508
Email: nicola.kane@royalsociety.org
Notes to editors:
The Royal Society is the UK’s national academy of science. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as a provider of independent scientific advice, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. Our expertise is embodied in the Fellowship, which is made up of the finest scientists from the UK and beyond. Our goals are to:
- Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation
- Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice
- Invigorate science and mathematics education
- Increase access to the best science internationally
- Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery
For further information please visit http://royalsociety.org.
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