Gordon Dougan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Dougan
FRS FMedSci
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Gordon Dougan in 2009
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Gordon Dougan
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| Education | Scunthorpe Grammar School John Leggott College |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex (BSc, PhD) |
| Awards | EMBO Member (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
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| Thesis | An Analysis of the Structure and Function of Plasmid Cole 1 (1977) |
| Doctoral advisor | David Sherratt |
| Doctoral students | Mark Pallen Kat Holt |
Gordon Dougan is a very important scientist. He is a professor at the University of Cambridge. He also leads research on germs at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK. He is known for his work on diseases that affect the gut. He has also helped a lot to improve how vaccines are used around the world. Many people in the vaccine field see him as one of the most influential experts.
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Early Life and Education
Gordon Dougan grew up in Scunthorpe, England. He went to Henderson Avenue Junior School. Later, he studied at Scunthorpe Grammar School and John Leggott College. He earned his first degree in Biochemistry. He also received his PhD from the University of Sussex.
Research and Career Highlights
After finishing his PhD, Gordon Dougan moved to the University of Washington. There, he did more research in Professor Stanley Falkow's lab. His research team studies germs that cause gut diseases. They focus on how these germs make people sick. They also study how the body's immune system fights them.
Studying Typhoid Germs
Gordon Dougan is very interested in using genomics to study germs. Genomics is like reading the DNA code of living things. He uses this to understand how germs interact with the human body. He has a special focus on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. This germ is the cause of typhoid fever.
Work in Science and Industry
Gordon Dougan has worked in both universities and companies. Before joining the Wellcome Sanger Institute, he was a director at Imperial College London. He helped get a lot of money to build new science facilities there. He also made sure scientists had the tools they needed.
Throughout his career, he has helped many organizations. He has advised universities and different science groups. He was a trustee for the International Vaccine Institute in Korea. He also worked with global groups like the World Health Organization (WHO). He also worked with the GAVI Alliance, which helps provide vaccines worldwide.
Gordon Dougan also worked for over ten years in a company called Wellcome Foundation. This company is now part of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). There, he helped create new vaccines and medicines. He has been involved in testing many vaccines in people. He is an expert in how vaccines work. He also understands how germs cause infections. He has written over 400 research papers. He has also edited several books.
Awards and Recognitions
Gordon Dougan has received many important awards for his work.
Fellow of the Royal Society
In 2012, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. It means he is recognized for his important discoveries. His nomination said he is known for studying how bacteria affect the body. It also mentioned his work on Salmonella Typhi. His research has helped us understand how infections happen. It has also helped develop new vaccines.
Other Honors
He became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2011. In 2002, he was also elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Personal Life
Gordon Dougan is a big fan of the football team Scunthorpe United. He also enjoys keeping bees as a hobby.
