Jean Beggs facts for kids

Jean Duthie Beggs (born April 16, 1950) is a famous Scottish scientist who studies genetics. She is a special professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Her work helps us understand how our bodies work at a tiny level.

Jean Beggs' Early Life and Education

Jean Duthie Lancaster was born on April 16, 1950. She went to Glasgow High School for Girls. After high school, she studied Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow. She earned her first degree in 1971 and then her PhD in 1974. A PhD means she did advanced research and became an expert in her field.

Her Journey in Science

From 1974 to 1977, Jean worked as a researcher at the University of Edinburgh. She worked with two important professors, Kenneth and Noreen Murray. After that, she received a special scholarship called a Beit Memorial Fellowship. This allowed her to move to Cambridge and work at the Plant Breeding Institute for two years.

In 1979, Jean became a teacher at Imperial College London. She taught about biochemistry. Then, in 1985, she returned to the University of Edinburgh. She became a Professor of Molecular Biology there in 1999.

Her main research focuses on something called RNA splicing. This is a super important process where cells prepare their genetic instructions (RNA) to make proteins. It's like editing a movie before it's shown!

In 1972, Jean married Dr. Ian Beggs. They have two sons.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Jean Beggs has received many important awards for her scientific work. These awards show how much her research has helped us understand biology.

Top Science Honors

• She became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1995. This is a big honor for scientists in Scotland.
• In 1998, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors a scientist can get in the United Kingdom.

Gabor Medal and CBE

• In 2003, she won the Gabor Medal from the Royal Society. She received this award for her amazing work in handling and studying DNA molecules in living things. Her work helped create new ways to understand how cells and molecules work.
• She was also given a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2006. This is a special award from the Queen for her great contributions to science.

Other Achievements

• From 2009 to 2012, she was the Vice President for Life Sciences at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This means she helped lead important decisions about biology research.
• In 2016, the University of St Andrews gave her an honorary DSc degree. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
• In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the RNA Society. This award celebrates her many years of important work studying RNA.