Annie Curtis facts for kids

Annie Curtis is an Irish immunologist. An immunologist is a scientist who studies the body's immune system. This system helps us fight off sickness. Dr. Curtis works at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She has worked in universities, for the government, and in private companies. Her main research looks at how our body clock can help control diseases that cause swelling and pain, called inflammatory diseases.

Learning About Science

Early Studies

Annie Curtis went to Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. From 1994 to 1998, she studied genetics. Genetics is the study of how traits are passed down from parents to children.

PhD Research

Later, from 2001 to 2006, she earned her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. She worked in a lab with Professor Garret FitzGerald. During this time, she learned about the body's internal clock. She discovered how this clock affects how our heart and blood vessels work.

Her Science Career

Working in Companies

After finishing her PhD, Dr. Curtis joined a big company called GlaxoSmithKline in Philadelphia. From 2006 to 2008, she led a small team. They looked for special signs in the body that could show if someone was at risk for heart problems.

In 2008, she became a manager for Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). This group helps fund science research. She worked there until 2010. Then, she joined another company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, as a medical advisor. She helped with medicines that use the immune system to fight diseases.

Research in Universities

In 2011, Annie Curtis returned to Trinity College Dublin. She joined the lab of Professor Luke O'Neill. In 2014, she received a special grant from SFI. This grant helped her start her own research group. Her team began studying how our body clocks affect our immune system.

In 2016, Dr. Curtis moved to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She became a research lecturer there. Her work has helped scientists understand more about diseases like multiple sclerosis. These diseases cause long-lasting inflammation. Her research shows that problems with the body clock can be linked to these conditions.

Awards and Recognition

Annie Curtis has received several awards for her important scientific work:

• 2017: She won a L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science UK & Ireland Fellowship. This award celebrates women scientists.
• 2012: She was the winner of the Roche Medal. This award recognized her as Researcher of the Year at the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute.
• 2006: She received the Junior Investigator Award for Women from the ATVB. This award is for young researchers studying blood vessel diseases.