Bruce Ponder facts for kids

Sir Bruce Anthony John Ponder was born on April 25, 1944. He is a British scientist who studies genetics and cancer. He used to be a professor at the University of Cambridge. He also led important cancer research centers there.

Education and Early Research

Bruce Ponder went to Charterhouse School and Jesus College, Cambridge. He studied medicine in London. For his PhD, he researched how DNA is organized using a special virus called polyoma virus. His mentor was Lionel Crawford.

After his medical training, Ponder started his research. He got a special award to combine lab work with helping patients.

Understanding Cancer Growth

Ponder first studied how cells grow and organize in the body. He looked at the lining of a mouse's intestine. He found that some cells would naturally "win" and take over a small area called a 'crypt'.

Later, he and others showed that if a cell had a mutation (a change in its DNA) that could lead to cancer, it would grow faster. This "winning" cell could then outcompete normal cells. This process was even faster if there was also inflammation in the body.

Finding Cancer Genes

Ponder then started studying cancers that run in families. People had known for a long time that some families seemed to get cancer more often. They thought it might be inherited, but they didn't know which genes were involved.

In the late 1970s, new ways to study genes became available. Ponder opened a special clinic in 1980 for families with cancer. He also started a group to study the genetics of these cancers.

He focused on a type of cancer called Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2. In 1993, he helped find the gene responsible for it, called ret. This discovery was very important. It meant doctors could test family members to see if they were at risk. If they were, surgery could sometimes prevent the cancer from developing.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research

In the late 1980s, Ponder helped start a group called the International Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium. This group helped find the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are linked to a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Over the next ten years, this group worked to understand how these genes affect cancer risk. They also studied other genes not related to BRCA that could cause cancer in families.

Many Genes, Small Changes

By the mid-1990s, scientists realized that many small family groups had breast cancer. Most of these were not due to the BRCA genes. Instead, they were likely caused by many small genetic differences combined. This is called 'polygenic inheritance'.

Ponder and his colleagues showed that these small genetic changes explain a large part of breast cancer risk. This finding opened new ways to think about preventing cancer.

To find these many genes, they used a new method called 'genome-wide association studies'. In 2007, they published the first study of its kind for cancer. They found five genes linked to breast cancer risk. Now, scientists have found almost 300 such genes. Ponder's team also showed how these many small changes work together to increase cancer risk.

Career Highlights

After working in hospitals, Ponder focused on cancer research. In 1980, he started his own research at the Institute for Cancer Research in London. He also opened his special clinic for families with cancer.

In 1985, he became the first head of a new Department of Cancer Genetics. In 1989, he moved his research group to the University of Cambridge. He became a professor there in 1993. In 1995, he became the head of the University Department of Oncology.

Building Cancer Research Centers

As head of Oncology, Ponder had three main goals. He wanted to improve patient care and link it with research. He also wanted to build strong cancer research in Cambridge. And he wanted to work with other researchers and local biotech companies.

In 1997, he helped start the Strangeways Research Laboratory. This lab focused on how genes affect cancer. In 2001, he co-directed the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, which included a new cancer cell biology unit.

From 2002, Ponder helped create the Cambridge Cancer Centre. This center brought together researchers from many different areas. It included doctors, scientists, and people from local companies.

In 2004, he became the first Director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute. This institute opened in 2007. It focused on taking basic science discoveries and turning them into real benefits for patients.

In 2010, Ponder became the first Director of the Cambridge Cancer Centre. Under his leadership, it became one of only two "Major Centres" in the UK in 2013. The Cambridge Centre also became a "Comprehensive Cancer Centre" by a European organization. This was a big achievement for Addenbrooke's Hospital. In 2017, it was named a "European Centre of Excellence."

Awards and Recognition

Sir Bruce Ponder has received many awards for his work. These include:

• The Hamilton Fairley Fellowship (1977)
• The Merck Prize (1997)
• The Croonian Lectureship (1997)
• The Hamilton Fairley Award (2004)
• The Bertner Award (2007)
• The Alfred Knudson Award for Cancer Genetics (2008)
• The Lifetime Achievement Award from Cancer Research UK (2013)

He was also the President of the British Association for Cancer Research from 2010 to 2014. He was a founding member of important scientific groups, including the UK Academy of Medical Sciences.

In 2001, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 2008, he was made a Knight Bachelor by the Queen for his services to medicine.

His important work on the intestine has helped many later studies on how tumors grow in the gut.