Sheena Radford facts for kids

Sheena Elizabeth Radford is a British scientist who studies biophysics. Biophysics is a field that uses ideas from physics to understand how living things work. She is a top professor at the University of Leeds. There, she works in the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology. This center focuses on understanding the tiny structures inside living cells.

Education and Early Career

Sheena Radford studied at two well-known universities in the UK. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science (BSc), in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham in 1984. Biochemistry is about the chemical processes happening in living organisms.

After that, she continued her studies at the University of Cambridge. In 1987, she received her PhD in Biochemistry. A PhD is a very advanced degree that shows a person is an expert in their field. Later, she did more research as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Oxford.

Research and Discoveries

Professor Radford's main research looks at protein folding. Proteins are like tiny machines in our bodies that do many important jobs. For proteins to work correctly, they must fold into a specific 3D shape. If they fold incorrectly, they can cause problems.

Understanding Protein Misfolding

One big part of her research is studying what happens when proteins fold the wrong way. This can lead to serious health issues called amyloid diseases. These diseases include conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Her team uses special tools to see how proteins fold and misfold. This helps scientists understand how these diseases start.

New Ways to Fight Bacteria

Another important area of her work is studying proteins found on the outside of certain bacteria. Understanding how these proteins fold can help scientists create new medicines. These new medicines could be used to fight harmful bacteria. This research is very important for developing new antibiotics.

Improving Medicines

Professor Radford also explores how to make medicines last longer. This means finding ways to keep pharmaceutical drugs stable. Her work helps ensure that medicines remain effective for a longer time.

Awards and Recognitions

Professor Sheena Radford has received many important awards for her scientific work. These awards show how much her research has helped us understand biology.

• 1996, Biochemical Society Colworth Medal
• 2003, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2005, Royal Society of Chemistry Astra-Zeneca prize in Proteins and Peptides
• 2007, Elected member of EMBO
• 2009, Ron Hites Award from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (with Professor Alison Ashcroft)
• 2010, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
• 2013, Protein Society Carl Brändén Award
• 2014, Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• 2014, Honorary member of the British Biophysical Society
• 2015, Rita and John Cornforth Award of the Royal Society of Chemistry (with Professor Alison Ashcroft)
• 2018, Fellow of the Biophysical Society
• 2020, Member of Academia Europaea
• 2020, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
• 2021, Royal Society Professorship
• 2021, Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
• 2022, Doctorate honoris causa from the University of Liège
• 2024, International Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2025, Biochemistry Society Centenary Award

In 2010, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. In 2014, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is one of the highest honors for a scientist in the UK. In 2020, she was recognized with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This was for her important contributions to molecular biology research. In 2024, she became an International Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.