Angela McLean (biologist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS
Angela McLean in 2019
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 31 May 1961) is a top scientist who uses math to understand diseases. She is a professor of mathematical biology at the University of Oxford. She also serves as the Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Government. This means she gives scientific advice to the government.

Early Life and Learning

Angela McLean was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 31, 1961. She went to Mary Datchelor Girls’ School in London. Later, she studied mathematics at the University of Oxford. She learned about mathematical biology there. In 1987, she earned her PhD from Imperial College London. Her studies focused on how diseases like measles spread.

Her Work and Discoveries

Angela McLean uses math to study how infections grow and spread. She looks at how fast germs multiply inside a person. She also studies how quickly they move from one person to another.

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

In 1990, she received a special research award from the Royal Society. From 1994 to 1998, she worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This is a famous research center.

In 2000, she became a professor at the University of Oxford. She continued her work in mathematical biology.

Advising the Government

Angela McLean has often advised the UK government on science. After the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, she helped review how to stop future animal disease outbreaks.

She has also advised on how to prevent big disasters, like disease pandemics. She was part of groups that advised on new and emerging infections.

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

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, she played a key role. She attended meetings of a group called SAGE. This group gave scientific advice during the emergency. She helped lead a team that used models to predict how the virus would spread. She also spoke to the public during government briefings.

In 2023, Angela McLean was chosen for an even bigger role. She became the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK. She is the first woman to have this job.

Awards and Recognitions

Angela McLean has received many awards for her important work:

• 2009 – She became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists.
• 2011 – She won the Gabor Medal from the Royal Society.
• 2018 – She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This means she received a special title from the Queen.
• 2018 – She won the Weldon Memorial Prize.
• 2023 – She was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Personal Life

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