Angela McLean (biologist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS
Angela McLean in 2024
Born	Angela Ruth Mclean (1961-05-31) 31 May 1961 (age 64) Kingston, Jamaica
Education	Mary Datchelor School
Alma mater	University of Oxford (BA) Imperial College London (PhD)
Spouse(s)	David van Oss ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	3
Awards	Royal Society University Research Fellowship (1990) Gabor Medal (2011) Weldon Memorial Prize (2018)
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematical biology
Thesis	Mathematical models of the epidemiology of measles in developing countries (1987)
Doctoral advisor	Roy M. Anderson

Dame Angela Ruth McLean, born on May 31, 1961, is a top scientist who uses math to understand living things. She is a professor at the University of Oxford and also the main science advisor to the UK government. This means she helps the government make important decisions based on scientific facts.

Early Life and Education

Angela McLean was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 31, 1961. She went to Mary Datchelor Girls’ School in London. After school, she studied mathematics at the University of Oxford. She learned about mathematical biology from her teacher, Jim Murray. She finished her first degree in 1982.

Later, in 1987, she earned her PhD from Imperial College London. Her special project was about using math models to understand how measles spreads in different countries.

Career and Research

Professor McLean's work focuses on using mathematical models. These models help us understand how infections grow inside people or animals. They also show how quickly diseases can spread from one person or animal to another.

She has studied many important diseases. These include human illnesses like coronavirus, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and measles. She has also worked on animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth and scrapie.

Key Roles and Contributions

In 1990, Angela McLean received a special research award from the Royal Society to work at the University of Oxford. For a few years, from 1994 to 1998, she worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This is a famous research center.

From 1998 to 2000, she led the Mathematical Biology team at the Institute for Animal Health. In 2000, she became a Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Oxford.

After the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, she joined a special committee. This group gave scientific advice on how to stop similar animal diseases in the future. She has continued to advise the UK government on many important science topics. This includes helping to plan for future disasters like disease outbreaks.

In 2005, Professor McLean became the director of a new institute at Oxford. This institute studies new infections that can affect humans. In 2008, she became a senior research fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. In 2009, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), which is a great honor for scientists.

Advising the Government

Professor McLean has helped write important reports that bring together scientific evidence. These reports cover topics like the health effects of low-level radiation and how certain chemicals affect wildlife.

In 2019, she became the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence. She was the first woman to hold this important position.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, she played a key role. She attended meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). She also helped lead a group that used models to predict how the virus would spread. She often appeared in government media briefings to explain the science to the public.

In 2023, Professor McLean was chosen to be the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser. This is the top science advisor role for the UK government. She is the first woman to be appointed to this very important position.

Awards and Honors

Professor McLean has received many awards for her scientific work:

• 2009 – Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• 2011 – Awarded the Gabor Medal by the Royal Society
• 2018 – Made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This means she can use the title "Dame."
• 2018 – Became a member of the Academia Europaea
• 2018 – Won the Weldon Memorial Prize
• 2023 – Elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Personal Life

Angela McLean married David van Oss in 1986. They have three children together.