Fran Balkwill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fran Balkwill
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| Born |
Frances Rosemary Balkwil
1952 (age 72–73) London, England
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| Education | Surbiton High School |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Scientist and author |
| Known for | Children's books on scientific topics |
| Awards | Michael Faraday Prize (2005) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Queen Mary University of London |
| Thesis | Investigations into the Nature of Human Acute Leukaemia Using Cell Culture Techniques (1977) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gordon Hamilton Fairley |
Frances Rosemary Balkwill (born in 1952) is an English scientist. She is a Professor of Cancer Biology at Queen Mary University of London. Fran Balkwill is also famous for writing many science books for children.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fran Balkwill was born in London, England, in 1952. She went to Surbiton High School. She studied Cellular Pathology at the University of Bristol. Later, she earned her PhD in leukaemia cell biology. This research looked at how blood cancer cells behave.
Career and Science for Kids
Fran Balkwill spent several years researching cancer. She studied how a substance called interferon affects cancer. In 2000, she joined Queen Mary University of London. There, she became a Professor of Cancer Biology. She also leads a special center for cancer research.
Besides her lab work, Professor Balkwill loves to share science with young people. She has written many children's books about biology. These books are illustrated by Mic Rolph. She also directs the Centre of the Cell. This is a fun science education center for children. It is located in east London.
One of her books, Staying Alive: Fighting HIV/AIDS (2002), was very important. Fran and Mic traveled to South Africa for this book. They wanted to understand what local communities needed. About 19,000 free copies of the book were given out in South Africa.
From 2008 to 2011, she helped guide public science projects. She was the Chairman of the Public Engagement Strategy Committee at the Wellcome Trust. In 2016, she was a judge for the Wellcome Book Prize.
Awards and Recognitions
Fran Balkwill has received many awards for her work. In 2008, she was given an Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special honor in the UK.
Her children's books, Cells are Us and Cell Wars, won an award in 1991. They received the Royal Society Young People Book Prize. This award celebrates great science books for young readers.
In 2004, she won an award for communicating science. It was from the European Molecular Biology Organization. She also won the Michael Faraday Prize in 2005. This prize recognized her amazing ability to explain science to children. She made science exciting for kids of all ages and backgrounds.
In 2006, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This honor is for people who have made big contributions to medicine. The University of Bristol gave her an honorary degree in 2015. This means they recognized her achievements.
In 2017, she won a prize for inspiring leadership in research. This award came from Cancer Research UK. In 2021, she received the Beetlestone Award. This award celebrates 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
