Roy M. Anderson facts for kids

Sir Roy Malcolm Anderson (born 12 April 1947) is a very important scientist from the UK. He is an expert in how infectious diseases spread and how to control them. He wrote a famous book called Infectious Diseases of Humans: Dynamics and Control with Robert May. This book is one of the most referenced in its field.

Sir Roy's early work looked at how diseases affect animal populations. Later, he focused on how human infections spread and how to stop them. His research has covered many major diseases. These include HIV, SARS, foot and mouth disease, and COVID-19. He has also studied antibiotic resistant bacteria and neglected tropical diseases. Sir Roy has written over 650 scientific papers.

Early Life and School

Roy Anderson was born on 12 April 1947. His parents were James Anderson and Betty Watson-Weatherburn. He went to Duncombe School in Bengeo and then Richard Hale School.

He studied zoology at Imperial College London. He earned a top degree there. In 1971, he completed his PhD in parasitology. This field studies parasites.

Career and Research

After his PhD, Sir Roy worked at the University of Oxford. He was a research fellow in the Biomathematics Department. He studied how infectious diseases spread using mathematical models.

In 1974, he became a lecturer at King's College London. He taught about parasites. Later, he returned to Imperial College. He became a Professor of Parasite Ecology in 1982. From 1984 to 1993, he led the Department of Biology. He also directed the Wellcome Centre for Parasite Infections.

In 1993, Sir Roy moved to the University of Oxford. He led the Zoology department there. He also held the Linacre Chair of Zoology at Merton College, Oxford. During this time, he started the Wellcome Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease. This was the first UK center focused on studying and controlling infectious diseases.

Chief Scientific Advisor

From 2004 to 2007, Sir Roy was the chief scientific advisor for the UK Ministry of Defence. This meant he gave scientific advice to the government on defense matters. After this, he went back to Imperial College London. He continued his work on infectious disease epidemiology.

Rector of Imperial College

On 1 July 2008, Sir Roy became the 14th Rector of Imperial College. This is a very important leadership role. As Rector, he worked to improve teaching and research at Imperial. He also helped get a new site in West London. This site would allow the college to expand its research and teaching. He also helped set up Imperial's first overseas campus in Singapore. This campus, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, trains doctors for Singapore. He left this role in 2009 to focus on his scientific research.

London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research

In 2013, Sir Roy started the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases (LCNTDR). Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases common in tropical and subtropical areas. They affect over a billion people. The LCNTDR aims to help control these diseases through research and support. It brings together experts from several institutions. These include the Royal Veterinary College, Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the Natural History Museum, London.

Important Boards and Committees

Sir Roy has advised many important groups. These include the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has given advice on public health and disease control.

He is currently a Vice-President of Fauna Flora International. He is also Chairman of Oriole Global Health Limited. He directs the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research. He is also a Trustee for the Banga Trust and the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

Honours and Awards

Sir Roy Anderson has received many awards for his work. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1986. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. He was also knighted in 2006, which means he received the title "Sir."

Other awards and honors include:

• Member of the Academia Europaea (MAE)
• Foreign Member, French Academy of Sciences
• Foreign Member, United States of America National Academy of Medicine
• Honorary Fellow, Royal Statistical Society
• Honorary Fellow, Royal Agricultural Society
• Honorary Fellow, Institute of Actuaries
• Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Pathologists
• Honorary Member, British Society for Parasitologists
• Honorary Fellow, Linacre College, Oxford
• Ernst Chain Prize, Imperial College, 2005
• Weldon Memorial Prize, 1989
• Croonian Lecture, 1994
• Distinguished Statistical Ecologist Award, American Society of Ecology, 1998
• Huxley Memorial Medal, Imperial College, 1981
• Scientific Medal, Zoological Society of London, 1982
• C.A. Wright Memorial Medal, British Society for Parasitology, 1986
• David Starr Jordan Prize and Medal, Universities of Stanford, Cornell and Indiana, 1987
• Chalmers Memorial Medal, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1988
• John Hull Grundy Lecture Medal, 1990
• Frink Medal for British Zoologists, The Zoological Society of London, 1993
• Joseph Smadel Medal, Infectious Disease Society of America, 1994
• Storer Lecture Medal, University of California, Davis, 1994
• Croonian Prize, Royal Society, 1994
• Leiden Lecture Medal, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Rotterdam, 1995
• Thomas Francis Memorial Lecture Medal, University of Michigan, 1995
• Honorary DSc from the Universities of East Anglia, Aberdeen and Stirling

Personal Life

Sir Roy Anderson married Janet Meyrick in April 2014. He has three step-children.

He enjoys walking and traveling to faraway places. He is also interested in natural history, protecting nature, and taking photos of wildlife.