Philip Cohen (British biochemist) facts for kids

Sir Philip Cohen (born 22 July 1945) is a famous English scientist. He studies how our bodies work at a tiny level. He's especially known for his discoveries about "protein phosphorylation." This is like an on/off switch for many things happening inside our cells. His work has helped us understand how cells communicate and control important body functions.

Early Life and School

Philip Cohen was born on July 22, 1945. He went to Hendon County Grammar School in North London from 1956 to 1963. After that, he studied Biochemistry at University College London. He did really well, graduating with top honors in 1966.

Becoming a Scientist

Philip Cohen continued his studies at University College London. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry in 1969. His main teacher was Dr. Michael A. Rosemeyer. His PhD project was about something called "Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase."

After his PhD, he worked with Professor Edmond H. Fischer in Seattle, USA. This was from 1969 to 1971.

Starting at Dundee University

In 1971, Cohen came back to the UK. He started working as a Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Dundee. He stayed in this role until 1978. He then became a Reader in 1978. By 1981, he was made a Professor of Enzymology. This means he became a top expert in enzymes, which are special proteins that speed up chemical reactions in our bodies.

Leading Research Groups

The Royal Society recognized his important work. They made him a Research Professor at the University of Dundee. He held this position from 1984 to 2010.

He also led several important research groups:

• The Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Group (1983-1989)
• The Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit (1990-2012)
• The Scottish Institute for Cell Signalling (2008-2012)

In 2012, he returned to his role as Professor of Enzymology at Dundee. He has also been a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School since 2013.

Important Collaborations

In 1998, Cohen helped create the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy. He co-led it with Sir Peter Downes until 2012. This group studied how cells send and receive signals.

In 2023, Sir Philip and his family started the Tricia Cohen Memorial Trust. This trust helps PhD students. It was created in memory of his wife and colleague, Tricia Cohen. They were married for over 50 years.

Awards and Honors

Sir Philip Cohen has received many awards for his scientific work.

• In 1982, he became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation.
• In 1984, he became a Fellow of the Royal Societies of both London and Edinburgh.
• He won the CIBA Medal and Prize in 1992.
• In the 1990s, he won prizes like the Prix Van Gysel and the Louis Jeantet Prize for Medicine.

Knighted by the Queen

In 1998, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Knight. This means he received the title "Sir" for his great "Services to Biochemistry."

He also received other honors, including:

• The Sir Hans Krebs Medal
• The Bristol-Myers Squibb Distinguished Achievement Award
• The Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine
• The Rolf Luft Award

From 1992 to 2003, he was named the world's second-most cited scientist in "Biology and Biochemistry." This means his work was referenced by other scientists very often. He also received Royal Medals from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2004) and the Royal Society of London (2008).

Later Recognitions

In 2008, he became a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. In 2009, he became a Fellow of the American Society for Microbiology.

His lifetime achievements were honored with:

• The MRC Millennium Medal in 2013
• The Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 2014
• A Lifetime Achievement Award from Scotland's Life Sciences Industry in 2023
• The Herald Higher Education Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023

Key Discoveries

Sir Philip Cohen has made major breakthroughs in understanding protein phosphorylation. This is a process where a phosphate group is added or removed from a protein. It acts like an on/off switch, controlling how proteins work in cells.

His important contributions include:

• Understanding Insulin Signals: He helped figure out how insulin, a hormone, sends signals inside cells.
• Classifying Protein Phosphatases: He helped sort and understand protein phosphatases. These are enzymes that remove phosphate groups, turning off the protein switches.
• Studying Protein Kinases: He developed ways to study protein kinases. These are enzymes that add phosphate groups, turning on the protein switches. This work has been very helpful in developing new medicines.

Since 2008, his research has focused on how protein phosphorylation works with another process called "protein ubiquitylation." This helps control our body's natural defenses against illness, known as innate immunity.

Earlier in his career, he also studied how glycogen is made and used in the body. Glycogen is how our bodies store sugar for energy.

Here are some examples of his important scientific papers:

• How an enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase-3 works.
• How insulin affects glycogen synthase in muscles.
• How insulin turns off glycogen synthase kinase-3.
• How protein kinase B is activated by insulin.
• How different protein kinases recognize their targets.
• How a specific enzyme activates protein kinase B.