Michael Stratton facts for kids

Sir Michael Rudolf Stratton (born 22 June 1957) is a British scientist. He studies diseases, especially cancer. He was the third director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. This is a famous research center in the UK.

Sir Michael leads the Cancer Genome Project. This project looks at the complete genetic information of cancer. He also helps lead the International Cancer Genome Consortium. This is a big group of scientists from all over the world. They work together to understand cancer better.

His Early Life and Learning

Michael Stratton went to Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School. This was an independent school. He then studied at the University of Oxford. There, he earned a medical degree. He was a student at Brasenose College, Oxford.

After Oxford, he trained at Guy's Hospital. He also studied to become a histopathologist. This is a doctor who studies diseased tissues. He worked at Hammersmith and Maudsley Hospitals in London. He earned his PhD in 1990. His research focused on brain tumors. He also studied how cancer develops at a tiny, molecular level.

Discovering Cancer Secrets

Sir Michael Stratton has worked at several hospitals. These include Guy's Hospital and the Royal Marsden Hospital. He became a professor at the Institute of Cancer Research. In 2000, he joined the Sanger Institute. He became the deputy director in 2007. Then, in May 2010, he became the director.

His main research is about the genetics of cancer. This means he studies how changes in our genes can cause cancer. In 1994, his team found the location of BRCA2. This is a very important gene. It helps repair damage to our chromosomes. When this gene doesn't work right, it can increase the risk of breast cancer. The next year, his team found the gene itself.

Sir Michael has also found other genes. These genes are linked to different types of cancer. This includes skin, testis, colorectal, and thyroid cancers. He also found genes related to Wilms tumour and Peutz–Jeghers syndrome.

The Cancer Genome Project

In 2000, the Human Genome Project was finished. This project mapped out all human genes. Sir Michael talked about using this information. He wanted to change how cancer is treated. He and Andy Futreal started the Cancer Genome Project. They wanted to find changes in genes that happen in cancer cells. This was a very bold idea at the time.

The project has several goals. They want to find new cancer genes. They also want to understand how cancers grow. And they study how the structure of our genes affects cancer. In 2002 and 2004, his team made big discoveries. They found gene changes in many skin cancers. They also found changes in some lung cancers.

In 2009, Sir Michael's team made another breakthrough. They mapped the complete genetic information of a lung tumor and a melanoma. This was the first time this had been done. His team also manages a huge online database. It's called the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC). This database is a helpful tool for scientists worldwide.

He is also a lead researcher in the International Cancer Genome Project. This is a massive project. It aims to map 25,000 cancer genomes. These come from 50 different types of cancer. His research has received funding from important groups. These include the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Awards and Special Recognitions

Sir Michael Stratton has received many awards. He became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1999. In 2008, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. He also joined EMBO Membership in 2009. He received the Lila Gruber Cancer Research Award in 2010.

In 2013, he was made a Knight Bachelor. This means he can use "Sir" before his name. He received this honor for his great work in medical science. The Royal Society praised his work. They said he found important genes. These genes are linked to breast cancer and other cancers. They also noted his idea to search for gene changes in cancer on a large scale. This led to finding genes like BRAF in melanoma. His work helps us understand cancer better. It also helps with diagnosis and treatment.

In May 2022, he received a special award. It was the 'In Search of Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award'. This was for his amazing career. Just three months before, he announced he would step down. He had been the director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute for 12 years. In 2024, he received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society.