Jeremy Brockes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeremy Brockes
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Jeremy Patrick Brockes
29 February 1948 |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA) University of Edinburgh (PhD) |
| Relatives | Emma Brockes (niece) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University College London Harvard Medical School California Institute of Technology King's College London |
Jeremy Patrick Brockes, born on February 29, 1948, is a British scientist. He is a biochemist, which means he studies the chemistry of living things. He worked as a research professor at University College London until 2016. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society, a special honor for top scientists.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jeremy Brockes was born in a town called Haslemere in Surrey, England. He went to Winchester College for his early education.
After that, he went to university. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of Cambridge in 1969. A BA is usually the first degree you get at university.
Then, he continued his studies and earned a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Edinburgh in 1972. A PhD is a very advanced degree, showing you are an expert in your field. He did his research with Kenneth Murray and Noreen Murray.
Later, he did more research at Harvard Medical School and University College London. This extra research is called post-doctoral work.
His Work as a Scientist
After finishing his studies, Jeremy Brockes worked at several famous universities. These included California Institute of Technology, King's College London, and University College London.
He studied two main areas:
- How cells interact in the peripheral nervous system of mammals. This system sends signals between your brain and spinal cord and the rest of your body.
- How regeneration works in salamanders. Regeneration is when an animal can regrow lost body parts, like a salamander regrowing a limb.
Studying Nerves
His work on the peripheral nervous system helped scientists learn how to clean and grow special nerve cells called Schwann cells from rodents. Schwann cells help protect nerve fibers.
This research led to finding something called Glial Growth Factor. This factor is part of a group of important growth factors called Neuregulins. These factors help control how tissues grow and develop in places like the heart, brain, and nervous system.
Studying Regeneration
When studying how salamanders regrow limbs, he looked at many things:
- Dedifferentiation: How specialized cells can go back to a simpler state to help regrow a limb.
- Nerve dependence: How nerves are needed for a limb to regrow properly.
- Positional identity: How cells know where they are in the body and what part of the limb to regrow.
- Senescent cells: These are "old" cells that stop dividing. He studied how they affect regeneration.
- Regeneration as an evolutionary variable: How the ability to regenerate changes over time in different animals.
Chess Player
Outside of his science work, Jeremy Brockes also enjoys playing chess. He is a rated player by both FIDE (the world chess federation) and the English Chess Federation.
Family Life
Jeremy Brockes is the uncle of Emma Brockes. She is a well-known journalist and author who has won awards for her writing.
Awards and Honors
Jeremy Brockes has received many awards for his important scientific work:
- 1985: Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London.
- 1989: Elected to the European Molecular Biology Organisation.
- 1989: Elected to the Academia Europaea.
- 1994: Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
- 2008: Received the Newcomb Cleveland Prize (shared with others) from the AAAS.
- 2022: Received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Regenerative Biology.
