Hugh Pelham facts for kids

Sir Hugh Reginald Brentnall Pelham, born on August 26, 1954, is a famous cell biologist. He studies cells, which are the tiny building blocks of all living things. Sir Hugh is well-known for his work on how our bodies react to heat, especially by making special "heat shock proteins." These proteins act like tiny helpers, protecting our cells when it gets too hot. From 2006 to 2018, he was the director of the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), a top research center in the UK.

Learning and Early Research

Hugh Pelham went to Marlborough College and then to Christ's College, Cambridge. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Natural Sciences, which covers many science subjects. After that, he got his PhD for studying how genetic information is copied and used to make proteins in young blood cells. His PhD supervisors included Tim Hunt, who later won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001 for his work on how cells divide.

Discoveries About Cell Proteins

Sir Hugh Pelham is an expert on how proteins move around inside cells. His research has helped us understand how some proteins can protect cells from damage. He also discovered how cells get rid of proteins that are damaged or no longer needed. This process is super important for keeping cells healthy and working correctly. More recently, his work looks at how proteins are changed and sent to the right places within cells. He also tries to find ways to stop these processes, which could be useful for medical treatments.

Sir Hugh has worked at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge for many years. He also spent time as a visiting professor at the University of Zurich. In 2006, he became the Director of the LMB, taking over from another famous scientist, Richard Henderson. Since 2015, he has also been an Honorary Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge.

Important Awards and Recognitions

Sir Hugh Pelham has received many important awards for his scientific work. In 2011, he was knighted by Elizabeth II, which means he was given the title "Sir." He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1988. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.

Some of his other awards include:

• The Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine in 1991
• The King Faisal International Prize in 1996
• The EMBO Gold Medal in 1989
• The Colworth Medal in 1988 from the Biochemical Society

He also gave special lectures like the Florey Lecture in 1992 and the Croonian Lecture in 1999. In 1998, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was also elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 1985, which is a group of leading scientists in Europe.