Christopher Marshall (doctor) facts for kids

Christopher John Marshall (born January 19, 1949 – died August 8, 2015) was a British scientist. He was a director at the Institute of Cancer Research. He was famous for his work on how cancer cells communicate. He discovered the N-Ras oncogene, which is a gene that can cause cancer. He also found out how certain proteins called Ras work. His discoveries helped create new medicines to fight cancer.

Early Life and Education

Chris Marshall was born in Birmingham, UK. He went to King Henry VIII School, Coventry. He studied science at the University of Cambridge. Later, he earned his DPhil (a type of PhD) in cell biology from the University of Oxford. After his studies, he worked as a researcher in London and Boston.

Discovering Cancer Genes

In 1980, Marshall started working at The Institute of Cancer Research in London. He began to study human cancer genes. Working with his colleague Alan Hall, he found a new human cancer gene called NRAS. His later work showed that NRAS plays a big role in diseases like leukemia and melanoma.

Marshall then focused on how NRAS and two other related genes, HRAS and KRAS, cause cancer. He studied how these genes and other signaling proteins send messages inside cells. These messages go from outside the cell all the way to the cell's control center, the nucleus. His research helped scientists understand the importance of another cancer gene called BRAF in melanoma.

Before he passed away, Marshall's lab was studying how cancer cells spread through the body. They looked at how signals from Ras and Rho proteins help cancer cells move.

Inspiring Future Scientists

Many students and researchers learned from Professor Marshall. They went on to hold important positions in science:

• Professor Karen Vousden is a top scientist at the Francis Crick Institute in London.
• Professor John Hancock works at the University of Texas Medical School in the USA.
• Professor Alison Lloyd is a cell biology expert at University College London.
• Professor Richard Marais leads the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute.
• Professor Mike Olson works at the Beatson Institute in Glasgow.
• Professor Erik Sahai is a group leader at the Francis Crick Institute.
• Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno leads a group at Barts Cancer Institute in London.
• Dr Faraz Mardakheh also leads a group at Barts Cancer Institute.

Awards and Recognitions

Chris Marshall received many important awards for his scientific work:

• He became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation.
• He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
• He was also elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
• He was a Fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences.
• He received the Novartis Medal in 1999.
• In 2008, he was given the Buchanan Medal by the Royal Society.
• In 2011, he received the Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research Award.