Julian Parkhill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julian Parkhill
FRS FMedSci
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Parkhill in 2015
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| Born | 23 September 1964 |
| Education | Westcliff High School for Boys |
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| Known for | ARTEMIS |
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| Thesis | Regulation of transcription of the mercury resistance operon of Tn501 (1991) |
Julian Parkhill (born 1964) is a professor who studies how tiny living things called bacteria change over time. He works in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Before this, he led a team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute that focused on the DNA of germs.
His research helps us understand how germs cause sickness. It also shows us how they spread and become stronger.
Julian Parkhill's Education
Julian Parkhill went to Westcliff High School for Boys. He then studied at the University of Birmingham. Later, he earned his PhD degree from the University of Bristol in 1991. A PhD is a very high university degree. For his PhD, he studied how certain genes in bacteria help them resist mercury.
Julian Parkhill's Work and Discoveries
Professor Parkhill uses special tools to study the DNA of germs. This helps him understand how different types of germs behave. He looks at how they cause disease and how they spread. His work also teaches us how germs change over time. This includes how they become harmful and how they interact with the bodies they infect.
His research team has received funding from important groups. These include the Wellcome Trust, the BBSRC, and the MRC.
Awards and Special Recognition
Julian Parkhill has received many important awards for his work.
In 2009, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This means he was recognized as a top expert in medical science. In 2012, he also became a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
His team has studied the DNA of many important bacteria. These include germs that cause serious diseases like tuberculosis, plague, and typhoid fever. They also studied germs that cause whooping cough, leprosy, and meningitis. His research also covers germs that cause infections in hospitals, like C. difficile and MRSA. They also look at food-borne germs such as Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella.
His current work uses new ways to study bacteria very quickly. They are looking at huge collections of bacteria from different places and times. This helps them link changes in germ DNA to how diseases spread. It also shows how germs become resistant to medicines. They are also working with doctors to use this DNA information in hospitals. This helps with public health investigations.
In addition, they use these methods to study how germs behave. They work with other scientists around the world. This is especially true in countries where infectious diseases are common.
In 2014, Julian Parkhill was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. This award recognized his big role in mapping the DNA of many key disease-causing bacteria. These include germs that cause tuberculosis and plague.
His work has shown us all the genes these bacteria carry. It has also given us important ideas about how bacteria's DNA changes. This includes how different groups of the same bacteria can vary. He also helped create tools to understand and see this DNA information. These tools are shared freely with scientists everywhere. For over ten years, Professor Parkhill has been a leader in studying bacterial DNA. Recently, he has used new fast DNA sequencing methods. These help explore how germs change and spread. They also make it possible to use these methods in hospitals.
