Rex Malcolm Chaplin Dawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Malcolm Chaplin Dawson
FRS
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| Born | 3 June 1924 Stoke Golding, Leicestershire
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| Died | 29 March 2021 (aged 96) Langham, Norfolk
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| Education | Hinckley Grammar School |
| Alma mater | University College London |
| Known for | Work on how phospholipids govern membrane biology |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Elizabeth Hodder June Margaret Buschman (née Pepper) |
| Children | Hazel Anne John Rex |
| Awards | FRS |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Cardiff University University of Oxford Babraham Institute |
| Thesis | (1949) |
| Doctoral advisor | Derek Richter |
Rex Malcolm Chaplin Dawson (1924—2021) was a British biochemist. A biochemist studies the chemistry of living things. Rex Dawson spent most of his career researching phospholipids. These are special fats that are super important for how our bodies work. He worked at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge starting in 1955. He was also a key person for The Biochemical Society and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1981. This is a very high honor for scientists.
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Early Life and Education
Rex Dawson was born on June 3, 1924. His birthplace was Stoke Golding, Leicestershire. His father, James Dawson, worked with newspapers. His mother, Ethel Mary, was a teacher of music, English, and art.
When Rex was 11, his family moved to Hinckley. He went to the local Grammar School there. He became very interested in science after reading a book called Wonders of Chemistry.
University Studies
Rex earned a scholarship to University College London (UCL). In 1945, he graduated with top honors. His degree was in applied and theoretical physics.
Research Career
After university, Rex moved to Cardiff. He joined a research group led by Derek Richter. There, he studied how the brain uses energy. This work helped him earn his PhD in 1949.
Rex continued his research in Cardiff. He focused on how phospholipids work in the body. In 1952, he moved to Oxford. He kept studying phospholipids and published an important paper.
Work at Babraham Institute
In 1954, Rex's department head, Sir Rudolph Peters, retired. Sir Rudolph then started a new biochemistry department. This new department was at the Agricultural Research Council Animal Physiology Unit at Babraham.
Sir Rudolph had noticed Rex's talent. He offered Rex a job in the new department. Rex moved to Babraham in 1955. He worked there for thirty years.
Contributions to Science
Rex Dawson's main work was on phospholipids. These are vital parts of cell membranes. Cell membranes are like the skin of our cells. His research helped us understand how these fats control many things in our bodies.
He also helped The Biochemical Society. He was their honorary publications secretary from 1973 to 1980. He played a big part in making the society strong and successful.
Family Life
Rex Dawson married Emily Elizabeth Hodder in 1946. They had two children. Their daughter, Hazel Anne, was born in 1947. Their son, John Rex, was born in 1951.
Emily Elizabeth Dawson passed away in 2005. In 2009, Rex married June Margaret Buschman. Rex Dawson died on March 29, 2021, in Langham, Norfolk.
