David Lane (biologist) facts for kids

Sir David Philip Lane (born 1 July 1952) is a British scientist. He is an expert in immunology, which studies the body's defense system. He also specializes in molecular biology, looking at tiny parts of cells. Sir David is well-known for his work in cancer research. He is famous for discovering p53, a very important gene. This gene helps stop tumors from growing.

Sir David currently works at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He also serves as the Chairman of Chugai Pharmabody.

Early Life and Education

David Lane went to The John Fisher School in South London. He then studied at University College, London. There, he earned his first degree and his advanced degrees. He focused on auto-immunity, which is when the body's immune system attacks its own healthy cells.

Career and Research Work

After his studies, Sir David did more research. He worked at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) in London. He also spent time at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

When he returned to the UK, Sir David started his own lab. He received funding from the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC). He worked at Imperial College, London and then at the ICRF laboratories. In 1990, he moved to the University of Dundee. There, he helped set up new CRC laboratories.

Sir David played a big part in UK science. He served on important committees. He helped bring research findings to patients. He was involved in combining the ICRF and CRC. These groups later became Cancer Research UK. He was the chief scientist for Cancer Research UK until 2010.

He also started a company called Cyclacel Ltd in Dundee. He was the chief scientific officer there from 1996 to 2004. From 2004 to 2007, he was a director at the Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology (IMCB) in Singapore.

Sir David was also the chief scientist for Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He is a professor at the Karolinska Institute. There, he leads a research group that studies tumor suppressor biology.

He has written over 350 research articles. These articles have been used as references by other scientists more than 100,000 times. He is known around the world for discovering the p53 protein. He also made many other important discoveries about p53. The p53 gene is often changed in human cancers. More than half of all cancers have a changed p53 gene. Sir David also co-wrote a very popular guide. It teaches how to use special methods in science. This book, called "Antibodies," has sold over 40,000 copies.

Awards and Special Recognition

Sir David Lane has received many honors for his work. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In 1996, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is a member of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is also a founding member of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

He has won many international awards. These include the Joseph Steiner Prize and the Paul Ehrlich Prize. In 2012, he received the Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Prize. Several universities have given him honorary degrees. These include the Universities of Toulouse, Birmingham, and Nottingham. He has also been recognized for his business skills.

On 29 September 2016, The John Fisher School opened a building named after him. In 2018, he was named one of the Asian Scientist 100 by Asian Scientist magazine.

Sir David was knighted in January 2000. This honor was for his important contributions to cancer research.