E. Sally Ward facts for kids

Elizabeth Sally Ward is a British scientist who works on understanding and fighting diseases like cancer. She is currently a Director at the Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton. In 2022, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists.

Early Life and Education

Sally Ward went to the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. There, she studied science, focusing on how living things work at a tiny level, called biochemistry.

She continued her studies at Cambridge for her PhD, which is a special degree for advanced research. Her research looked at the genes of a special protein called delta-endotoxin, which comes from a type of bacteria.

Her Amazing Research

After finishing her PhD, Sally Ward continued her research at Cambridge. In 1990, she moved to the United States. She joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and helped start their Centre for Immunology.

Discovering the Fc Receptor

In 1996, Sally Ward made an important discovery. She found a special part of cells called the Fc receptor. This receptor helps control the levels of important immune proteins called Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in our bodies. IgG antibodies are like tiny soldiers that fight off germs and diseases.

Later, she moved to Texas A&M University in 2014. In 2018, she came back to the UK to work at the University of Southampton.

Fighting Diseases with Antibodies

Sally Ward's main work is about antibody engineering. This means she designs and changes antibodies and other proteins to help treat diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. In these diseases, the body's immune system accidentally attacks its own healthy cells.

She also studies how to create new antibody treatments for cancer. Her discovery of the Fc receptor led to new ways to make medicines that can lower harmful IgG levels. These special antibodies are called Abdegs, and they are now being used by drug companies to create new treatments.

Seeing Tiny Things Up Close

Sally Ward has also developed advanced ways to look at tiny things, like single protein molecules, using powerful microscopes. She can even see these molecules in different colors to understand how they move inside cells. This helps scientists learn how cells work and how diseases develop. She has also created free computer programs to help other scientists analyze their microscope images.

Awards and Recognition

• 2018 She received the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award.
• 2020 She was elected Vice President of the Antibody Society.
• 2022 She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.