Nancy Rothwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame Nancy Rothwell
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Nancy Rothwell in academic dress for a graduation ceremony for the Department of Mathematics at the University of Manchester in 2015
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| President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester | |
| In office 21 June 2010 – 31 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Gilbert |
| Personal details | |
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Nancy Jane Rothwell
2 October 1955 Tarleton, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Education | Penwortham Girls' Grammar School |
| Alma mater | University of London (BSc, PhD, DSc) |
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| Known for | President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester Nancy Rothwell Building |
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| Thesis | Physiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of energy balance (1979) |
| Doctoral advisor | Mike J. Stock |
Dame Nancy Jane Rothwell (born 2 October 1955) is a famous British physiologist. A physiologist studies how living things work. She was the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester from 2010 to 2024. This means she was in charge of the whole university.
Before leading the university, Nancy Rothwell was a director at a big medicine company called AstraZeneca. She also helped lead the Council for Science and Technology. This group advises the government on science. She was also the past President of the Royal Society of Biology. This is a major science organization.
She also served as a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester. This is a special role representing the King or Queen. From 2020 to 2023, she led the Russell Group. This group includes 24 top research universities in the UK. In 2021, some students at the University of Manchester had concerns about her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Early Life and Education
Nancy Rothwell was born in Tarleton, a small village in Lancashire, England. She went to Penwortham Girls' Grammar School. There, she studied maths, physics, chemistry, and art. She actually stopped studying biology when she was 14!
Later, she went to the University of London. She earned a top degree in physiology in 1976. In 1979, she received her PhD from Queen Elizabeth College. This college is now part of King's College, London. She earned another special degree, a Doctor of Science (DSc), in 1987.
Amazing Research and Career
Nancy Rothwell's early research looked at how our bodies manage energy. She studied obesity (being very overweight) and cachexia (extreme weight loss). In 1984, she received a special research award. She also got many grants to fund her work.
In 1994, she became a professor of physiology. Then, in 1998, she got a research chair from the Medical Research Council. Her current research focuses on how inflammation affects brain diseases. She found out that a protein called interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays a role in brain injury. Her team even did the first study using an IL-1 blocker to treat strokes.
She also led the British Neuroscience Association. This group focuses on brain science. She was also a council member for the Medical Research Council.
From 2004, Nancy Rothwell was the vice-president for research at the University of Manchester. In 2010, she led a team of about 20 scientists. They received a lot of funding for their work. She was then chosen to become the new president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester.
She is also a trustee for Cancer Research UK. This charity helps fight cancer. She also supports the Campaign for Medical Progress. She was a non-executive director at AstraZeneca. In 1998, she gave the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. These lectures explain science to young people and were shown on the BBC.
Leading a Big University
In January 2010, Nancy Rothwell became the deputy president of the university. She became the acting president when the previous leader, Alan Gilbert, was sick. On June 21, 2010, she was officially named president and vice-chancellor. She started her new role on July 1, 2010.
She was the first woman to lead the University of Manchester. She was also the first woman to lead any of its previous institutions. She said she was "honoured and delighted" to lead the university. She wanted to keep the university focused on its goals. She also wanted to find new opportunities in a challenging world.
The person who chose her, Anil Ruia, said she would bring her "own distinctive strengths." He believed she would help the university grow even more. In 2009, Nancy Rothwell was the first president of the Society of Biology.
In May 2020, she became the leader of the Russell Group. This group represents 24 of the best universities in the UK. In 2023, it was announced that she would step down from her role in 2024.
Awards and Special Honours
Nancy Rothwell has received many awards and honours. In February 2013, she was named the 15th most powerful woman in the UK. This was by a BBC Radio 4 show called Woman's Hour. In May 2013, she was featured on BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific. She talked about her life and work with Jim Al-Khalili.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2005. This is a very high honour. In 2004, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a huge achievement for a scientist. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci). In 2003, she won the Pfizer award from the Royal Society.
Her nomination for the Royal Society said she made big discoveries. These discoveries were about energy balance and how our bodies fight off illness. She also studied how brain cells die. Her work helped lead to new treatments. For example, she showed that a protein called IL-1 causes brain damage after a stroke. She even patented using IL-1 blockers to prevent brain damage.
Nancy Rothwell has also worked hard to promote physiology and neuroscience. She helps people learn more about science. She also encourages women to have careers in science.
She is an honorary member of the British Society for Immunology. She is also an honorary fellow of Somerville College, Oxford. She has been a member of The Physiological Society since 1982. In 1998, she won their Annual Review Prize Lecture.
In 2009, she received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Bath. In 2024, she received an honorary Doctor of Education degree from Manchester Metropolitan University.
To celebrate the University of Manchester's 200th anniversary, portraits of Nancy Rothwell were made. One of them is shown at The Whitworth art gallery. In 2024, a new building at the university was named the Nancy Rothwell Building. This was to mark her retirement.
Images for kids
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Nancy Rothwell in academic dress
