Jenny Morton facts for kids

Anne Jennifer Morton, known as Jenny Morton, is a scientist from New Zealand. She studies the brain and how it works. Her special area is looking at diseases that affect the brain over time, like Huntington's disease.

Since 1991, she has been a Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge. She also became a Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Cambridge in 2009. Professor Morton's current work focuses on Huntington's disease. She uses sheep to study this disease, which has led to an amazing discovery: sheep can actually recognise human faces!

Growing Up and Learning

Jenny Morton was born in Kaikohe, New Zealand. She grew up in the Far North area of the country.

She went to the University of Otago to study how the body works. In 1983, she earned her PhD, which is a very high university degree. Later, in 2009, she received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge. In 2014, the University of Cambridge also gave her a Doctor of Science degree.

Her Career in Science

After finishing her PhD, Professor Morton moved to England. She joined the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge. There, she worked as a researcher.

In 1991, she became a lecturer at the university. She was also chosen as a Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge. Since 1995, she has helped guide students studying medicine at Newnham College. In 2005, she became a Reader in Experimental Neurobiology. This is a senior teaching and research position.

In 2009, she was made a Professor of Neurobiology. This is the highest academic rank. She was the first woman from New Zealand to become a professor at Cambridge. From 2009 to 2010, she had a special research fellowship. In 2015, she was a visiting scholar at the University of Auckland.

What She Studies

Professor Morton's main research looks at how brain cells get damaged. She wants to find ways to stop or slow down the death of neurones (brain cells). These cells can be harmed by injury or diseases.

Since 1993, she has focused on Huntington's disease. This is a genetic disease that causes brain cells to break down. She first studied this disease using special mice. Later, she started using sheep. Sheep are larger animals, which can help scientists learn more about the disease.

Her work with sheep also led to studying how they learn and remember things. Her team taught sheep to pick out a familiar face from two pictures. This showed that sheep can actually recognise human faces!

Awards and Recognition

Jenny Morton is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB). This means she is recognised for her important contributions to biology.