Paul Workman (scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Workman
FRS FRSC FMedSci
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Workman in 2016
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| Born | 30 March 1952 Workington, Cumbria, England
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| Nationality | British |
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| Known for | Cancer drugs |
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| Thesis | Studies on some enzyme-activated anti-tumour agents (1976) |
Paul Workman is a British scientist born on March 30, 1952. He is well-known for his important work in finding and developing new medicines to fight cancer. From 2014 to 2021, he was the leader (President and CEO) of The Institute of Cancer Research in London, a place dedicated to studying and treating cancer.
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Early Life and School
Paul Workman was born in Workington, Cumbria, England. He went to Workington County Grammar School. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science (BSc), in Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. Later, he got his PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Cancer Pharmacology from the University of Leeds. In 2009, the University of Leicester gave him an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree, which is a special award for his achievements.
Discovering Cancer Drugs
Paul Workman has spent his career trying to find better ways to treat cancer.
Early Research
From 1976 to 1990, he worked at the Medical Research Council's Clinical Oncology Unit at the University of Cambridge. There, he started a lab to study new drugs. He focused on developing treatments that could target special cells in tumors that don't get much oxygen. He also figured out how certain enzymes help these drugs work.
In 1990, Workman spent time at Stanford University in California, USA. He continued his research on how to target tumors that have low oxygen levels. This work was supported by a special grant from the International Union Against Cancer.
Leading New Drug Development
In 1991, Paul Workman became a professor at the University of Glasgow. He led research at the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) Beatson Laboratories. He continued his work on targeting low-oxygen tumors and also started looking into "molecular targeted therapies." These are drugs designed to attack specific parts of cancer cells.
He also helped lead the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). He chaired groups that focused on new drug development and how drugs work at a molecular level.
Work at the Institute of Cancer Research
In 1997, Workman joined the ICR. He helped create and lead the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit there. This unit is very successful at finding new cancer drugs.
Since 2005, his team at the ICR has found 17 possible new drugs. Seven of these have already moved on to be tested in patients. Workman believes this success comes from taking risks with new ideas, combining science with drug-making knowledge, and having strong leaders. He also says it's important to work on many projects, have long-term funding, and team up with companies.
One important drug his team discovered was an "Hsp90 inhibitor," which helps stop cancer cells from growing. They found this drug with a company called Vernalis.
Awards and Recognition
Paul Workman has received many awards for his important contributions to science:
- 2010: Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).
- 2010: Received the George and Christine Sosnovsky Award in Cancer Therapy from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- 2014: Awarded the Raymond Bourgine Award for his "exceptional contributions to oncology" (meaning his amazing work in cancer research).
- 2016: Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), which is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
