Una Ryan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Una Ryan
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Dr Una Ryan in 2021
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Una Scully
18 December 1941 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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| Other names | Una S. Smith, Una Scully Ryan, Una Callow |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol University of Cambridge |
| Occupation | vascular biology, biotechnology angel investing |
| Years active | 1964– |
| Employer | University of Miami Washington University in St. Louis Monsanto Boston University AVANT Immunotherapeutics Inc Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative |
| Spouse(s) | Smith (ca. 1965) Ryan (ca. 1975) Allan Dana Callow (m. May 26, 1989) |
| Awards | Order of the British Empire Albert Einstein Award |
Una Ryan (born December 18, 1941) is a British-American biologist. She has done a lot of research on how blood vessels work. She has also written over 300 scientific papers about her findings.
After many years of research and teaching, she started working in the biotech industry. This industry uses science to create new products, like medicines. Una Ryan was a director at Monsanto and a CEO at AVANT Immunotherapeutics. Today, she leads The Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative. She also helps new companies by investing her own money, especially those started by women. Una Ryan has won many awards, including the Order of the British Empire and the Albert Einstein Award.
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Una Ryan's Early Life and Education
Una Scully was born on December 18, 1941, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her British father was held in a Japanese camp during World War II. Una and her mother traveled by boat from Singapore to England.
She finished her schooling in England. In 1963, she earned a degree in zoology from the University of Bristol. She then completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge in 1967.
Starting Her Science Career
In 1967, Una Ryan moved to the United States. She joined the University of Miami to study special enzymes. From 1972 to 1989, she taught as a professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Her important work there was recognized with a special 10-year award from the National Institutes of Health.
Working in Research and Business
In 1989, Una Ryan married a surgeon named Allan Dana Callow. In 1990, she began working at Washington University School of Medicine. At the same time, she also took a job at Monsanto as a Director for Health Sciences.
She left Monsanto in 1992. In 1993, she joined AVANT Immunotherapeutics Inc. as a vice-president and chief scientific researcher. She also became a research professor at Boston University School of Medicine. In 1994, she became a citizen of the United States.
By 1996, Una Ryan was promoted to President at AVANT. She also became the chief executive officer and President of Celldex Therapeutics Inc. During this time, she continued to research and publish papers. Her work included developing vaccines for diseases and ways to manage cholesterol.
Awards and New Innovations
Una Ryan received the Order of the British Empire in 2002. This award was for her important work in biotechnology research. In 2007, she won the Albert Einstein Award. This was for creating new vaccines to fight global infectious diseases.
In 2008, she left her jobs at AVANT and Celldex. In 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol. Besides vaccines, Una Ryan also worked on ways to get clean water. In 2009, she won an award for a program that cleaned wastewater. It used blue-green algae and solar energy.
When she couldn't get enough money for this program, Una Ryan focused on "Diagnostics for All." This project aimed to provide cheap medical tests to developing countries. The tests used paper and a drop of blood. When chemicals were added, the paper would change color to show results. This meant no lab work was needed, and the paper could be easily burned afterward. The company first made liver tests. Later, they added pregnancy tests and a test for diabetics to check their blood sugar.
Helping New Businesses and Women in Science
In 2013, Una Ryan moved to the American west coast. She became the first woman to lead the Bay Area BioEconomy Initiative. This group works to make it faster for new medical products to go from ideas to helping patients.
She also started investing her money to help new businesses, especially those led by women. Una Ryan worked with groups like Golden Seeds and Astia Angel. These groups invest in new companies and help guide businesses in Silicon Valley. She continues to serve on the boards of several biotechnology companies.
In 2015, Una Ryan started ULUX fine art. This art is based on her amazing electron microscope images. Una Ryan has two daughters and four grandchildren.
