Henry Harris (scientist) facts for kids

Sir Henry Harris (born January 28, 1925 – died October 31, 2014) was an important Australian scientist. He was a professor of medicine at the University of Oxford in England. Sir Henry was known for his groundbreaking work on cancer and human genetics. His research helped us understand how our bodies work at a tiny level.

Early Life and Education

Henry Harris was born in 1925 in the Soviet Union. His family moved to Australia in 1929 when he was young. He went to Sydney Boys High School from 1937 to 1941.

At first, he studied modern languages. But he soon became interested in medicine. He studied medicine at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Instead of becoming a doctor who treats patients, he chose to do medical research.

Amazing Discoveries in Science

In the early 1950s, Henry Harris moved to England. He studied at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology in Oxford. He earned his DPhil degree in 1954. After that, he focused on a career in scientific research.

In 1960, he became the head of a new department. This department studied cell biology at the John Innes Institute. Later, in 1964, he took over from his mentor, Howard Florey, as the head of the Dunn School. In 1979, he became Oxford's Regius Professor of Medicine. This is a very important position.

Understanding Cancer Cells

Sir Henry Harris spent a lot of time studying cancer cells. He wanted to find out how they were different from healthy cells. He also explored how to change human cells using material from other species. This helped him learn more about genes.

He and his team created new ways to study and measure genes. These genes are found along our chromosomes.

In 1965, he made an important observation. He noticed that most RNA in the cell's nucleus did not code for proteins. This idea was not widely accepted at first. But years later, other scientists proved he was right.

Finding Tumor Suppressor Genes

In 1969, Sir Henry made another big discovery. He showed that if you combined a cancer cell with a normal cell, the new cell was not cancerous. This proved that there are special genes that can stop cancer from growing. These are called tumour suppressor genes.

His work on these genes has become very important worldwide. It has led to many new studies and treatments for cancer.

In 1983, Henry Harris was recognized for his work. He was elected to the Australian Academy of Science. In 1993, he was knighted, which means he received the title "Sir." Much of his research was supported by Cancer Research UK.

Sir Henry Harris passed away on October 31, 2014, at the age of 89. His work greatly helped our understanding of cells and cancer.