Veronica van Heyningen facts for kids

Veronica van Heyningen (born 12 November 1946) is an English scientist who studies genetics. She is an expert in understanding why some people are born without eyes, a condition called anophthalmia. She works as a 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 president of The Genetics Society. Since 2014, she has been the president of the Galton Institute.

Early Life and Moving to the UK

Veronica Daniel was born in 1946 in Békéscsaba, Hungary. Her parents had survived a very difficult time during World War II. Her father was an engineer who worked in textiles.

In 1958, her family moved to England, arriving in Worthing, Sussex. They soon settled in Loughborough. Veronica van Heyningen has said that these experiences taught her and her sister that "education is life's major portable asset." This means that learning and knowledge are things no one can take away from you. In 1963, her family became British citizens.

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

Education and Early Research

Veronica studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge from 1965 to 1968. She focused on genetics during her time there. 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 Walter Bodmer. She studied how genes are mapped using special cell mixtures. In 1973, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree at Oxford.

Career Highlights

After 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, where she later became a permanent staff member in 1981.

In 1992, she received funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She became the leader of the Medical and Developmental Genetics Section. Veronica van Heyningen worked at the MRC Human Genetics Unit for 35 years, retiring in 2012.

She also held important leadership roles in scientific organizations. She was president of the European Society of Human Genetics in 2003. From 2009 to 2012, she was president of The Genetics Society.

After retiring in 2012, Van Heyningen moved to London. She is now an honorary professor at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. This institute is connected to University College London and the Moorfields Eye Hospital. She continues to work with other scientists, including eye doctors. In 2013, she became a patron for Aniridia Network, a charity that helps people in the UK affected by aniridia.

Discoveries in Eye Development

Veronica van Heyningen is a geneticist who studies how eyes develop and what causes eye diseases. One of her most important discoveries was finding the PAX6 gene. This gene is very important for eye development. When there are changes (mutations) in the PAX6 gene, it can cause a condition called aniridia. People with aniridia are born without an iris, which is the colored part of the eye.

The PAX6 gene also helps control other genes involved in eye development. These include the SOX2 and OTX2 genes. Changes in these genes can lead to conditions like microphthalmia (very small eyes) and anophthalmia (no eyes). Her research has helped us understand how genes work together to form our eyes.

Awards and Recognition

Veronica van Heyningen has received many awards for her important work. In 2010, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award recognized her great contributions to science. She also received the Carter Medal in 2011.

Other awards and honors include:

• 1991 Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholar
• 1997 Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
• 1999 Elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci)
• 2002 Nominated a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
• 2007 Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
• In 2014, she was interviewed by Jim Al-Khalili on the BBC radio program The Life Scientific.