Ken R. Harewood facts for kids

Ken Harewood is a brilliant molecular biologist and scientist. He has made many important discoveries in biomedical research. This is research that helps us understand and improve human health. He is especially known for his work in cancer biology and finding new cancer drugs.

Early Life and Education

Ken Harewood was born in Barbados. He went to Lodge School there for his high school education. While at school, he was a great soccer player. He even became the captain of the Barbados National Soccer Team.

After high school, Ken moved to the United States. He studied biology at New York University. Later, he continued his studies at the City College of the City University of New York. There, he earned his Master's and PhD degrees in Biochemistry. After that, he did special research at the New York Blood Center. This extra training helped him become an expert in his field.

Important Scientific Work

After finishing his studies, Ken Harewood started working at Pfizer. This is a big company that makes medicines. He worked at their cancer research center. Later, he became a Project Leader. He led a team that made a very important discovery.

Cloning the Rennin Gene

Ken and his team at Pfizer were the first to clone a gene for something called bovine calf rennin. Cloning a gene means making an exact copy of it. This discovery led to the first food processing enzyme made using recombinant DNA technology. This technology allows scientists to combine DNA from different sources. It was a big step forward in how food is made.

Contributions to Virus Research

Harewood also helped discover the first human leukemia virus. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood cells. He also contributed to understanding HIV. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. His work on cancer also led to new ways to find anti-cancer drugs. These methods use cells to test how well new medicines work.

Leadership and Awards

Ken Harewood has held many important positions. He was a special professor and director at the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research institute. This institute does important research in health and science.

In 2008, the governor of North Carolina chose him to be on the N.C. Board of Science and Technology. He also served on the N.C. Biotechnology Center board. He has also been a professor at Duke University.

Harewood has received many awards for his amazing work. Some of these include:

• The Harlem YMCA Black Achievers in Industry Award
• The 1998 Barbados Charity Fund Pride and Industry Award
• The 2006 University of North Carolina Oliver Max Gardner Award
• The Barbados Barbados Gold Crown of Merit

Books and Publications

Ken Harewood has also written books. These include:

• Beyond My Wildest Dreams (published in 2012)
• The Biotech Revolution: Impact on Science Education in America (published in 2020)

He also wrote an article for high school teachers. This article described fun lab exercises using the rennin enzyme. This shows his dedication to teaching and sharing science with others.