Bruce Ponder facts for kids

Sir Bruce Anthony John Ponder (born 25 April 1944) is a British scientist who studies genetics and cancer. He is a retired professor of Oncology at the University of Cambridge. He also used to lead the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.

Learning and Early Research

Bruce Ponder went to Charterhouse School and Jesus College, Cambridge. He studied medicine at St Thomas' Hospital in London. For his PhD, he worked with Lionel Crawford to study how tiny parts of cells, like DNA, are organized. He used a type of virus called polyoma virus for his research.

After finishing his medical training, Ponder received an award to continue his research. He worked at The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research in London. There, he combined his lab work with helping patients.

Discovering How Cancer Grows

Ponder first studied cancer by looking at how cells normally grow and organize in the body. He developed new ways to measure how normal cells compete with each other in the lining of a mouse's intestine. He found that one cell's descendants would often "win" and take over a small area.

Later, he and his team showed that if a cell had a cancer mutation, it would have an advantage. This meant the future cancer cell could outgrow the normal cells around it. They also found that this advantage was even stronger if there was inflammation nearby.

Understanding Family Cancers

Ponder also began to study cancers that run in families. Doctors had known for a long time that some families seemed to inherit cancer. However, they didn't know which genes were responsible.

In the late 1970s, Ponder and others saw a chance to use new methods to find these hidden genes. In 1980, he started a special clinic for families with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital. This was a new idea in the UK. From this clinic, he created a group to study the genetics and treatment of family cancers.

He focused on a type of cancer called Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2. In 1993, he helped identify the ret gene as the cause of this cancer. This was a huge step! It meant doctors could test family members to see if they were at risk. If they were, surgery could sometimes prevent the cancer from even starting.

Finding Genes for Common Cancers

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ponder helped start the International Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium. This group played a big part in finding the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. Over the next ten years, the Consortium worked with many international teams. They helped understand how these genes, and others, cause breast and ovarian cancers in families.

By the mid-1990s, it was clear that many small family groups had breast cancer, but it wasn't due to genes like BRCA. Ponder and his colleagues realized these family patterns were likely caused by many small genetic differences. This is called 'polygenic inheritance.' They showed that these small differences account for a large part of breast cancer risk. This opened up new ways to think about preventing cancer.

To find these many genes, Ponder and his team 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. Since then, the number of such genes has grown to almost 300. Ponder's group also studied how these many gene changes work together to increase cancer risk.

A Career in Cancer Research

After working in hospitals, Ponder focused on research. In 1977, he worked on a book about cancer science. Then, he trained in cancer treatment at Harvard Medical School in the US.

Returning to the UK in 1980, he started his research career. He opened his Familial Cancer clinic and later 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 and head of the University Department of Oncology in 1995.

As head of Oncology, he had three main goals. He wanted to improve patient care and link it with research. He also aimed to build strong cancer research in the university. Finally, he wanted to connect with other research groups and local biotech companies.

He helped create the Strangeways Research Laboratory in 1997, focusing on cancer. In 2001, he co-directed the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre. From 2002, Ponder helped develop the Cambridge Cancer Centre. This center brought together researchers from many different areas to fight cancer.

In 2004, he became the first Director of the new Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute. This institute 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, Cambridge became one of the top cancer centers in the UK and Europe.

Awards and Recognition

Sir Bruce Ponder has received many awards for his work. These include the Hamilton Fairley Fellowship (1977), the Merck Prize (1997), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Cancer Research UK (2013).

He was also the President of the British Association for Cancer Research. He was a founding member of several important medical and cancer science academies.

In 2001, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 2008, he was knighted by the Queen for his important contributions to medicine.

His nomination for the Royal Society said that he is known for his work in human cancer genetics. It also praised his leadership in international efforts to find genes that cause breast and ovarian cancer.