Anne Ferguson-Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Ferguson-Smith
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Ferguson-Smith in 2017
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| Born |
Anne Carla Ferguson-Smith
23 July 1961 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Education |
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| Spouse(s) |
Mark McHarg
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
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| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Thesis | A genomic analysis of the human homeobox gene loci HOX 1 and HOX 2 (1989) |
| Doctoral advisor | Frank Ruddle |
| Other academic advisors | Azim Surani |
Anne Carla Ferguson-Smith (born 23 July 1961) is a top scientist who studies how living things develop. She is a specialist in genetics, which is the study of genes and heredity. She focuses on mammals, like humans and animals.
Currently, she is a professor at the University of Cambridge in England. She also helps lead research and international partnerships there. She used to be in charge of the Department of Genetics at the same university.
Professor Ferguson-Smith is an expert in something called genomic imprinting. This is a special way genes are controlled. She studies how our genes work and how they are affected by things like our parents' genes. Her work helps us understand how our bodies develop and stay healthy.
Contents
Becoming a Scientist
Anne Carla Ferguson-Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on July 23, 1961. She loved science from a young age.
Early Studies
She went to the University of Glasgow in Scotland. There, she earned a degree in molecular biology. This field studies the tiny parts inside living cells.
Advanced Degrees
After Glasgow, she moved to Yale University in the United States. She worked on her PhD, which is a very high degree. Her research focused on human Hox genes. These genes are super important for how our bodies are built. Her supervisor was a scientist named Frank Ruddle.
Her Research Journey
After finishing her PhD, Professor Ferguson-Smith moved back to the University of Cambridge. From 1989 to 1994, she worked with another famous scientist, Azim Surani.
Discovering Imprinting
During this time, she started studying genomic imprinting. This is a fascinating process where some genes are turned on or off depending on whether they came from your mother or your father. Her team found one of the first genes that showed this special behavior. They also learned that a process called DNA methylation helps control it.
Understanding Gene Control
Later, in a different department at Cambridge, she continued her research. She looked at how genomic imprinting works and why it's important. Her work helped show that this process is a key way our genes are controlled.
Her discoveries have helped us understand:
- How mammals develop and grow.
- How our bodies manage energy (metabolism).
- How new brain cells are made in adults.
Leading the Way
In 2013, she became a professor and the head of the Department of Genetics at Cambridge. In 2015, she became the seventh Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics. This is a very important role.
Her current research still connects different parts of genetics. She looks at how our DNA sequence, special changes to DNA (epigenetic modifications), and gene regulation all work together. She also studies how these things affect our traits and how they can be passed down.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Ferguson-Smith has received many honors for her amazing work.
- In 2002, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
- In 2006, she became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
- In 2017, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- She won the Suffrage Science award in 2014.
- In 2021, she received the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society.
In 2023, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for her important contributions to medical research. She also helps lead the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Family Life
Anne Ferguson-Smith married Mark Gregory McHarg in 1988. They have a son and a daughter. Her father, Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, was also a geneticist. So, science runs in the family!
