Veronica van Heyningen facts for kids

Veronica van Heyningen, born Veronica Daniel on November 12, 1946, in Békéscsaba, Hungary, is a well-known English geneticist. She focuses on understanding why some people are born with anophthalmia, a condition where one or both eyes are missing. She is currently a special professor at University College London (UCL). Before this, she led the medical genetics team at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh. She also served as the president of The Genetics Society and the Galton Institute. As of 2019, she leads the diversity committee for the Royal Society.

Early Life and School

Veronica Daniel was born in 1946 in Békéscsaba, Hungary. Her parents had survived The Holocaust, a terrible time during World War II. Most of their family members died in concentration camps. Her father was an engineer who worked with textiles.

In 1958, her family moved to Britain with help from an uncle. They settled in Loughborough. Veronica learned that "education is life's major portable asset." This means that learning is the most important thing you can carry with you. In 1963, her family became British citizens.

Veronica went to Humphrey Perkins Grammar School from age 12. She did very well in her studies, especially in science. She also enjoyed swimming and was part of the school's debating club.

University Studies

Veronica studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge from 1965 to 1968. She focused on genetics, which is the study of how traits are passed down through families. In 1968, she married Simon van Heyningen.

She then spent two years at Northwestern University in the United States. There, she earned a Master of Science degree. Later, she moved to University of Oxford to work with Professor Walter Bodmer. She studied how genes are mapped using special cells. The Medical Research Council helped support her studies. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1973.

Her Career Journey

After finishing her studies, Veronica van Heyningen received a special fellowship. This allowed her to work in Edinburgh at the MRC Mammalian Genome Unit. In 1977, she joined another MRC unit and later became a permanent staff member.

In 1992, she received funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She became the leader of a team that studied medical and developmental genetics. Veronica worked at the MRC Human Genetics Unit for 35 years, retiring in 2012.

She also led important scientific groups. She was president of the European Society of Human Genetics in 2003. From 2009 to 2012, she was president of The Genetics Society. She also served on the UK Human Genetics Commission.

After retiring in 2012, Veronica moved to London. She is now an honorary professor at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. This means she helps with research but does not teach full-time. She works with other scientists, like eye doctor Andrew Webster. In 2013, she became a patron for Aniridia Network, a charity for people with aniridia.

Important Discoveries

Veronica van Heyningen is a geneticist who studies how eyes develop and what causes eye diseases. One of her biggest discoveries was finding the PAX6 gene. This gene is very important for eye development. If there's a change or mutation in the PAX6 gene, it can cause aniridia. Aniridia is a condition where a person is born without an iris, the colored part of the eye.

The PAX6 gene also helps control other genes needed for eye development. These include genes like SOX2 and OTX2. Changes in these genes can lead to conditions like microphthalmia (small eyes) or anophthalmia (missing eyes). Veronica has deeply explored how genes are controlled and how small changes can lead to different physical traits.

Awards and Recognition

Veronica van Heyningen has received many awards for her important work.

• In 2010, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for her great contributions to science.
• In 2011, she received the Carter Medal from the Clinical Genetics Society.
• In 1991, she was named an International Research Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
• In 1997, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE).
• In 1999, she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
• In 2002, she became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
• In 2007, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists.
• In 2014, she was interviewed about her life and work on the BBC show The Life Scientific.