Jean Beggs facts for kids

Jean Duthie Beggs, born on April 16, 1950, is a famous scientist from Scotland. She is a geneticist, which means she studies genes and how living things inherit traits. She works as a professor at the University of Edinburgh in a special center called the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology.

Early Life and Education

Jean Duthie Lancaster was born on April 16, 1950. She went to Glasgow High School for Girls. She then studied at the University of Glasgow. In 1971, she earned her first degree in Biochemistry. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes happening inside living things. She continued her studies and received her PhD from the same university in 1974.

Her Scientific Career

After getting her PhD, Jean Beggs worked at the University of Edinburgh. From 1974 to 1977, she was a postdoctoral researcher. This means she was doing advanced research after finishing her PhD. She worked with Professors Kenneth and Noreen Murray.

Later, she moved to the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge. She worked there for two years. In 1979, she became a lecturer at Imperial College London. A lecturer is like a university teacher who also does research.

In 1985, Jean Beggs returned to the University of Edinburgh. She became a Professor of Molecular Biology in 1999. Her main research focuses on something called RNA splicing. This is a very important process inside cells that helps make proteins correctly.

Awards and Special Honours

Jean Beggs has received many important awards for her scientific work.

Fellow of Royal Societies

• In 1995, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special honour for top scientists in Scotland.
• In 1998, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honours for scientists in the United Kingdom.

Gabor Medal

In 2003, she received the Gabor Medal from the Royal Society. She won this award for her amazing work in gene cloning in yeast. This work helped scientists learn new things about how cells work.

Commander of the British Empire

In 2006, Jean Beggs was made a CBE. This stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire. It is a special award given by the Queen (or King) for great service to the country.

Other Recognitions

• From 2009 to 2012, she was the Vice President for Life Sciences at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
• In 2016, the University of St Andrews gave her an honorary DSc degree. This is a special doctor of science degree given to people who have achieved a lot.
• In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the RNA Society. This award celebrates her long and important career studying RNA.