Ingrid Allen facts for kids

Dame Ingrid Victoria Allen (born June 30, 1932 – died April 21, 2020) was a very important scientist. She was a special professor who studied brain diseases at Queen's University Belfast. Dame Ingrid is famous for her research on brain problems, especially diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Early Life and Education

Ingrid Allen was born in Belfast in 1932. Her parents were Reverend Robert Allen and Doris Allen. She went to Ashley Prep Belfast and Cheltenham Ladies College for school. After that, she studied medicine at Queen's University Belfast. She finished her studies and became a doctor in 1957.

Career and Research

In 1972, Dame Ingrid started a special service in Northern Ireland to study brain diseases. She was the first person to lead this important service. It helped doctors understand problems like brain tumors, head injuries, and infections. It also helped with diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

Dame Ingrid wrote over 200 scientific papers during her 60-year career! Her main work was about multiple sclerosis. She also studied how viruses affect the nervous system and how the brain reacts to serious head injuries.

Some of her big discoveries include finding special signs for multiple sclerosis in brain cells. She also researched how viruses might play a role in multiple sclerosis. She observed that the measles virus can spread through the nervous system. Her work helped us understand how the brain heals after a head injury.

From 1993 to 1996, Dame Ingrid was a Vice President of the Royal College of Pathologists. In 1997, she became the first Director for Research and Development for Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland. In this role, she helped create a plan for health research called "Research for Health and Wellbeing," which was published in 1999. She held this job until 2002. She also worked with the Medical Research Council.

Awards and Honours

Dame Ingrid received many awards for her important work. In 1993, she became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. In 1998, she was chosen as one of the first members of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Her old university, Queen's University Belfast, gave her an honorary doctorate in Medical Sciences in 2003. She also received two special honours from the British Empire for her medical research:

• A CBE in 1993
• A DBE in 2001

In 2008, Queen's University Belfast honoured Dame Ingrid with a portrait. This painting hangs in the university's Great Hall. At that time, she was only the third female academic from Queen's to be recognised in this way.

Personal Life

Dame Ingrid was an elder in the McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church in Belfast. She was also a member of several groups that combined science and faith. These included Christians in Science, the Society of Ordained Scientists, and the Thomas Merton Society of Great Britain and Ireland.