Frank Fenner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Fenner
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| Born |
Frank Johannes Fenner
21 December 1914 |
| Died | 22 November 2010 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | Frank John Fenner (after 1938) |
| Education | University of Adelaide |
| Occupation | Virology |
| Employer | Australian National University |
| Known for | Eradication of smallpox Control of Australia's rabbit plague |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Margaret Bobbie Roberts |
| Parent(s) | Albert Charles Fenner and Emma Louise "Peggy" Hirt |
Frank John Fenner (21 December 1914 – 22 November 2010) was a famous Australian scientist. He was a specialist in virology, which is the study of viruses. His two biggest achievements were helping to get rid of smallpox around the world and trying to control the huge number of rabbits in Australia. He did this by using a special virus called Myxoma virus.
The Australian Academy of Science gives out a special award each year called the Fenner Medal. It's for young scientists under 40 who have done great research in biology.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frank Johannes Fenner was born in Ballarat, Australia, in 1914. His family moved to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1916. He went to Rose Park Primary School and Thebarton Technical School.
He later studied at the University of Adelaide. In 1938, he earned degrees in medicine and surgery. Around that time, he changed his middle name to John.
Frank Fenner's Career and Discoveries
From 1940 to 1946, Frank Fenner served as a Captain and Major in the Australian Army Medical Corps. He worked as a medical officer and a pathologist (someone who studies diseases). He served in places like Australia, Palestine, Egypt, New Guinea, and Borneo.
He was very important in fighting malaria in Papua New Guinea. For his efforts, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1945.
After the war, a famous scientist named Frank Macfarlane Burnet asked Fenner to work at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. There, they studied smallpox in mice. Fenner even created the term "mousepox" for this disease. They also looked at the genetics of poxviruses.
In 1949, Fenner received a special scholarship to study in New York City at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. He worked on a type of bacteria that causes Buruli ulcer. This is a serious disease, similar to tuberculosis and leprosy.
Working in Canberra: 1949–2010
Frank Fenner came back to Australia in 1949. He became a Professor of Microbiology at the new John Curtin School of Medical Research in Canberra. This is where he started studying viruses again, especially the myxoma virus.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Australia had a huge problem with rabbits. They were eating crops and causing a lot of damage. Fenner's work with the myxoma virus showed that it could kill rabbits very quickly, usually within 9 to 11 days. It was about 99.5% effective at first.
However, some rabbits survived and became resistant to the virus over time. This meant that the rabbits were never completely wiped out, but their numbers were greatly reduced. Before releasing the virus to control the rabbits, Fenner, Frank Macfarlane Burnet, and Ian Clunies Ross famously injected themselves with the myxoma virus. They did this to prove that it was safe for humans.
From 1967 to 1973, Fenner was the Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research. In 1977, he became the head of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication. This was the same year the last known case of naturally spread smallpox happened in Somalia.
Fenner announced that smallpox had been wiped out to the World Health Assembly on 8 May 1980. This success is seen as the greatest achievement of the World Health Organization. Before it was gone, smallpox was one of the deadliest viruses in the world. It caused millions of deaths and left many survivors with lasting scars.
Fenner also cared a lot about the environment. He was the first Director of the Centre for Resources and Environmental Studies at the ANU in 1973. He worked there until he retired in 1979. This center later became part of the Fenner School of Environment and Society in 2007. He believed that Australia should have a population that lives in a way that is good for the environment and society. He was an Emeritus Professor at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.
Frank Fenner passed away in Canberra on 22 November 2010, after a short illness.
Personal Life
In 1944, Frank Fenner met Ellen Margaret 'Bobbie' Roberts. Bobbie was a trained midwife and nurse. She worked with the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War II, helping with malaria cases. That's how she met Fenner. They got married soon after meeting.
They wanted to have children, but they couldn't. So, they decided to adopt. They adopted two children. Marilyn Aldus Fenner was born in 1950. Later, they adopted Victoria Fenner, who was born in 1943. Victoria was Fenner's niece, and he adopted her after her mother passed away.
Bobbie Fenner was diagnosed with cancer in 1989 and passed away in 1994. After her mother's death, Marilyn Fenner and her family moved in to help care for her father until he passed away.
Honours and Awards
Professor Fenner received many awards and honours throughout his amazing career. Some of them include:
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1945.
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1976, for his work in medical research.
- The Japan Prize (Preventive Medicine) in 1988.
- Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1989, for his contributions to medical science, public health, and the environment.
- Copley medal from the Royal Society in 1995.
- Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 2000.
- Clunies Ross Lifetime Contribution National Science and Technology Award in 2002.
- The Frank Fenner building at the ANU, which houses the Medical School, is named after him. A student residence, Fenner Hall, is also named in his honour.
- WHO Medal.
- Prime Minister's Prize for Science in 2002.
- ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 2005.
- A federal voting area in Australia, the Division of Fraser, was renamed after Frank Fenner in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Frank Fenner para niños
