Fran Balkwill facts for kids

Frances Rosemary Balkwill, born in 1952, is a British scientist. She is a Professor of Cancer Biology at Queen Mary University of London. She is also famous for writing science books for children.

Early Life and Education

Fran Balkwill was born in London, England, in 1952. She went to Surbiton High School. She studied at the University of Bristol and earned a degree in Cellular Pathology. This field looks at how diseases affect the tiny parts of our bodies called cells.

Later, she got her PhD from Queen Mary University of London. Her PhD research was about leukaemia, a type of cancer. She studied how leukaemia cells behave.

Scientific Career and Research

For many years, Fran Balkwill worked at the ICRF Lincoln's Inn Fields. This is now part of Cancer Research UK. Her work focused on how a special protein called interferon can fight cancer. Interferons are like messengers in our bodies that help our immune system.

In 2000, she moved to Queen Mary University of London. There, she became a Professor of Cancer Biology. She also leads the Centre for Translational Oncology. This center helps turn new science discoveries into real treatments for cancer patients.

Inspiring Young Scientists

Besides her lab work, Fran Balkwill has written many science books for children. These books are illustrated by Mic Rolph. Her books cover many different topics in biology. They help young people understand complex science ideas in a fun way.

She also directs the Centre of the Cell. This is a special science education center for children. It is located in the new Barts and The London Medical School building in east London. It's a place where kids can learn about their bodies and diseases.

For her first book about HIV/AIDS, Staying Alive: Fighting HIV/AIDS (2002), Fran and Mic traveled to South Africa. They wanted to understand the needs of local communities. They also wanted to make sure the book would be helpful there. About 19,000 free copies of this book were given out in South Africa.

From 2008 to 2011, Fran Balkwill helped lead the Public Engagement Strategy Committee at the Wellcome Trust. This group works to share science with the public. In 2016, she was a judge for the Wellcome Book Prize. This prize celebrates books that explore health and medicine.

Awards and Special Recognition

Fran Balkwill has received many awards for her important work.

• In 1991, her children's books Cells are Us and Cell Wars won the Royal Society Young People Book Prize.
• In 2004, she won the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Award. This was for her great work in sharing life science information.
• In 2005, she received the Michael Faraday Prize. This award is given for excellent science communication. She won it for making science exciting for children of all ages.
• In 2008, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special honor from the British government.
• In 2006, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci). This recognized her important contributions to medicine.
• In 2015, she received an honorary degree from the University of Bristol.
• In 2017, she won the Inspiring Leadership in Research Engagement Prize from Cancer Research UK.
• In 2021, she received the Beetlestone Award. This award recognized her leadership in informal science learning.
• In 2024, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists.

Personal Life

Fran Balkwill has two children, Jessica and Barnaby. She also has five grandchildren: Sabrina, Esme, Casper, Balthazar, and Aurelius.

See also

In Spanish: Fran Balkwill para niños