Brian Follett facts for kids

Sir Brian Keith Follett (born 22 February 1939) is a British biologist. He is also known as an academic leader and someone who helped shape government policies. His main research looked at how the environment, especially the changing length of days and nights, affects when birds and mammals breed.

Sir Brian was knighted in 1992. He received the Frink Medal in 1993 and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1984. He also led important government groups, like the one for teacher training and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. From 1993 to 2001, he was the Vice-Chancellor (a top leader) of the University of Warwick.

Early Life and Education

Brian Follett went to Bournemouth School. He studied something called biological chemistry, which is about the chemistry of living things.

After finishing his first degree, he earned a Ph.D. (a very high university degree) at the University of Bristol. This work helped him learn about endocrinology, which is the study of hormones and how they affect the body. He also learned how to measure hormones to understand what they do.

Career and Research

In 1964, Brian Follett moved to Washington State University in the USA. There, he joined a group studying photoperiodism. This is how living things react to changes in day length.

His research focused on how the brains of birds (and mammals) measure how long the day is. They use these changes to control hormones that help them breed. He later worked at Leeds University and the University of Bangor. In 1978, he moved back to the University of Bristol.

In 1993, he moved to the University of Warwick to become its Vice-Chancellor.

How Animals Measure Day Length

Sir Brian's studies often used Japanese quail and wild starlings. These animals helped him understand how day length affects breeding.

• He helped create the first way to measure a bird hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH). This was a big step because it meant scientists could track hormone levels in individual birds.
• His research showed that birds have a special "clock" in their brains. This clock helps them know if the day is "long" or "short." If light hits their eyes during certain hours (12 to 18 hours after dawn), their brains read it as a "long day." This tells their bodies it's time to breed.

Expanding Research to Other Animals

In 1978, when he became the head of Zoology at Bristol, his research grew. He started studying mammals like sheep and wild birds such as albatrosses, swans, gulls, and partridges.

• His team found that thyroid hormones are very important for ending seasonal breeding. This means these hormones help animals stop breeding after the season is over.
• They discovered that if you remove the thyroid glands from starlings or sheep, the animals keep breeding all the time. They don't stop for the season. Adding thyroid hormones back makes them stop breeding again.

This research helped scientists understand how animals' bodies use light and hormones to control when they breed.

Leading Universities and Councils

Sir Brian Follett was the head of the Department of Zoology at the University of Bristol for 15 years (1978–1993). He also served as the Biological Secretary of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists, from 1978 to 1993.

From 1993 to 2001, he was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick. During his time, the university became even better known. It improved in areas like Engineering, Mathematics, Economics, and Humanities. He helped start a program to attract bright young researchers. The university also built many new buildings. The University of Warwick is now a founding member of the Russell Group, which is a group of leading UK universities. In 2001, the university opened a medical school.

Sir Brian also led many committees for the UK government. These included studies on university libraries, research in the humanities, and even the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001.

After he retired, he became the chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2001–2009). He also led the government's Teacher Training Agency (2004–2010). This agency worked to get more people to become teachers and to develop the idea of teaching assistants in schools. He also taught at the University of Oxford and was a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Awards and Honours

• He was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in 1984.
• He was knighted in 1992, which means he received the title "Sir."
• He has received 13 honorary doctorates and other awards.

Personal Life

Sir Brian Follett married Deb Booth, a teacher, in 1961. She later worked in radio and helped edit science journals. Their daughter, Karen Williams, works at a hospital in Canada. Their son, Richard Follett, is a historian and works at the University of Exeter.