Nicholas Franks facts for kids
Nicholas Peter Franks, born on October 14, 1949, is a very important scientist. He has been a Professor at Imperial College London since 1993. He teaches about biophysics and anaesthetics.
Biophysics is a science that uses the rules of physics to understand how living things work. Anaesthetics are special medicines that doctors use to make people sleep during surgery. This way, patients don't feel any pain.
Professor Franks studies how these anaesthetic medicines work inside our bodies. He looks at how they affect tiny parts of our cells and even smaller things called molecules. He also studies how they affect the neuronal networks in our brains. These networks are like the electrical wiring that connects all the different parts of our brain.
He even has special inventions related to a gas called xenon. Xenon is a gas that can be used as an anaesthetic. Professor Franks has also researched how xenon can protect our brain cells. This is called being a neuroprotectant.
He went to Mill Hill School and then studied at King's College London. He became a lecturer in biophysics at Imperial College London in 1977 and a reader in 1989, before becoming a full professor in 1993.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Professor Franks has received many important awards for his work. In 2011, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom. It means he is recognized as one of the best scientists in the country.
He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2004. In 2008, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Some of his other awards include the Gold Medal from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2003. He also received the Excellence in Research Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists in 2006. In 2011, the University of Montreal gave him an Honorary Doctorate, which is a special degree to recognize his achievements.
