David Barford facts for kids

David Barford is a British medical researcher and structural biologist. He works at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. A structural biologist studies the tiny building blocks of life, like proteins, to understand how they work.

Learning and Discovery

David Barford started his science journey at the University of Bristol. There, he studied Biochemistry. This field explores the chemical processes happening inside living things. After that, he went to the University of Oxford. He earned a special degree called a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). For his PhD, he worked with Professor Dame Louise Johnson, a well-known scientist.

What He Does

David Barford has worked at many important science places. He was at the University of Dundee in Scotland. There, he studied proteins with Professor Sir Philip Cohen. Proteins are vital molecules that do most of the work in cells.

Later, he became a Fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the USA. This was from 1991 to 1994. In 1994, he became a university lecturer at the University of Oxford. He was also a Fellow at Somerville College, Oxford.

In 1999, David Barford became a Professor of Molecular Biology. This was at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Since 2013, he has been a group leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. He helps lead the Structural Studies Division there. His research helps us understand how cells grow and divide. This knowledge can help in treating diseases like cancer.

Awards and Honors

David Barford has received many important awards for his scientific work:

• In 2017, he received an honorary science degree from the University of Bristol.
• In 2006, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
• Also in 2006, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
• In 2003, he became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).
• In 1998, he received the Colworth Medal from the Biochemical Society.