Margaret Stanley (virologist) facts for kids

Margaret Anne Stanley is a well-known British scientist. She is an expert in virology, which is the study of viruses. She also studies epithelial biology, which is about the cells that cover surfaces of the body.

Margaret Stanley went to universities in London, Bristol, and Adelaide. As of 2018, she is a professor at the University of Cambridge. She is also a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Her main research is on the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a common virus that can cause certain cancers, like cervical cancer. Her work has helped us understand HPV much better. She also shares her knowledge on many expert groups and science magazines.

Understanding HPV and Cancer

Margaret Stanley's main research looks at how HPV causes disease. She leads a team that works on preventing and treating HPV infections. These infections can lead to cervical cancer.

Early in her research, she created a special type of human cell line. This cell line, called W12, came from a low-grade cervical lesion. W12 cells can hold HPV-16, which helps scientists study how cervical cancer develops. She also helped discover that serious changes in chromosomes happen after high-risk HPV becomes part of a cell's DNA. This is a key step in how cervical cancer starts.

She also studies how the body's cells react to HPV in people with weak immune systems. This often includes people who are HIV-positive. Research shows that a strong immune response can help get rid of warts caused by HPV. Margaret Stanley believes that if the body fails to make this strong immune response, the virus can stay in the body. This can then lead to more serious disease and even cervical cancer.

Her Work and Committees

Margaret Stanley has been involved in many important science groups. From 2000 to 2003, she was part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). She has served on several other UK research committees for over ten years. Since 1991, she has also been a fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge.

From 2004 to 2010, she was on the Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee (SEAC). Her role was to give independent scientific advice to the UK government. This advice was about diseases like TSEs, which affect the brain. She helped advise on public health, food safety, and animal health policies.

In 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology asked her to join a group of experts. This group gave new advice on how to prevent cervical cancer. They looked at how many doses of the HPV vaccine are needed. Margaret Stanley supports reducing the recommended HPV vaccine doses from three to two for children aged 14 and younger. She also thinks that one dose might be enough, but more research is needed.

Currently, Margaret Stanley is an expert on HPV for a UK committee that advises on vaccines. She also works as a consultant for companies that make HPV vaccines. These companies include GSK, MSD, and Sanofi Pasteur MSD. She also works with smaller companies that are creating new vaccines to treat HPV.

Advocating for HPV Vaccination

Margaret Stanley strongly supports HPV vaccination for young people, especially between the ages of 13 and early 20s. She knows that the recommended HPV vaccines create enough antibodies to fight the virus.

She also believes that both boys and girls should get vaccinated. This is because both sexes can get illnesses related to HPV. She supports both types of licensed HPV vaccines:

• The bivalent vaccine, which protects against HPV types 16 and 18 (Cervarix).
• The quadrivalent vaccine, which protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 (Gardasil).

Margaret Stanley says that both of these HPV vaccines are safe and very good at making the body's immune system respond.

Margaret Stanley is currently the Vice President of the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS). She is also a member of several of its important committees. Her main goal with the IPVS is to encourage countries to use the available and effective HPV vaccinations. This helps prevent and treat HPV infection in young people.

Awards and Honors

Margaret Stanley has received many awards for her important work:

• In 2004, she was given an OBE for her services to virology.
• In 2010, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP). This was for her contributions to cervical cancer research.
• She also has a lifetime achievement award from the International Papillomavirus Society.
• In 2023, she received the Maurice Hilleman Award from the International Papillomavirus Society.