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Gillian Griffiths

FRS FMedSci
Born
Gillian Margaret Griffiths
Alma mater
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Thesis Molecular analysis of the immune response (1983)
Doctoral advisor César Milstein

Gillian Margaret Griffiths is a brilliant British scientist. She is an expert in cell biology and immunology. This means she studies tiny parts of living things called cells, and how our bodies fight off sickness.

Professor Griffiths was one of the first scientists to show that our immune cells have special ways of releasing important substances. These substances help our bodies stay healthy. She also found specific proteins and methods that a type of immune cell, called a T-lymphocyte, uses to release these substances.

Her Amazing Discoveries

How Immune Cells Work

Professor Griffiths's work helped us understand how our immune system protects us. She discovered that immune cells don't just release substances randomly. Instead, they have very specific and organised ways to do it.

Understanding T-Cells

She also focused on T-lymphocytes, which are like the "soldiers" of our immune system. These cells are crucial for fighting off infections and diseases. Professor Griffiths identified key proteins and processes that control how these T-cells release their protective substances.

Her Work Today

Leading Research in Cambridge

Professor Griffiths is a Professor of Cell Biology and Immunology. She works at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She leads a research laboratory at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research (CIMR). From 2013 to 2017, she was the Director of CIMR.

New Role at Yale

In 2024, Professor Griffiths was chosen for an important new job. She became the Chair of the Department of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine. She started this role on April 1, 2025.

Awards and Recognition

Honoured for Her Science

Professor Griffiths is a Fellow at King's College, Cambridge. This is a special honour. In 2013, she was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honours a scientist can receive in the United Kingdom.

Buchanan Medal

In 2019, she received the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society. This award is given to scientists who have made amazing discoveries in medical science.

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