Ten Cancer Research UK scientists become EMBO elect

Ten Cancer Research UK funded scientists have been elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) – a prestigious body which recognises and promotes talented scientists in the molecular life sciences field.

These experts are among 66 leading life scientists who have been awarded membership of EMBO this year. They join a select group of 1,420 of the world’s most prominent molecular biologists from a cross-section of fields, including evolutionary and computational biology, neuroscience and plant science.

EMBO members contribute their expertise to a range of activities, including mentoring young scientists, serving on committees and nominating new members. EMBO is also known for its peer-reviewed journals – the EMBO Journal, EMBO reports, Molecular Systems Biology and EMBO Molecular Medicine.

One of the ten elected, Dr Simon Boulton, head of Cancer Research UK’s DNA damage response laboratory at its London Research Institute, said: “I am greatly honoured by this election – it recognises our cutting edge science for the charity. My lab focuses on understanding the molecular basis of genome instability disorders, which predispose us to cancer. We are attempting to define how DNA damage is sensed and repaired in cells and how a process called homologous recombination, which promotes accurate repair of DNA lesions, is regulated during these critical cellular events.

The ten Cancer Research UK funded scientists elected this year are:

• Dr Julia Cooper, Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute
• Dr Facundo Batista, Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute
• Dr Simon Boulton, Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute
• Professor Mike Stratton, The Institute of Cancer Research, London
• Professor Richard Marais, The Institute of Cancer Research, London
• Professor Iain Hagan, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
• Professor Francis Barr, Cancer Research Centre, University of Liverpoo
• Professor Ronald Hay, University of St Andrews 
• Professor Margaret Frame, Cancer Research UK’s Edinburgh Cancer Centre
• Professor Robert White, Cancer Research UK’s Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow

Dr David Scott, director of science funding at Cancer Research UK said: “We are very proud so many scientists funded by Cancer Research UK have been given this prestigious award. Membership of this distinguished scientific organisation recognises their innovative research, and the hard work of their colleagues, that is helping us to better understand more about the causes of cancer.”

Updated, 4th November: In a separate EMBO award, Dr Duncan Odom, at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, has also been voted one Europe’s most talented young investigators. Dr Odom, 39, was one of 17 scientists to win the prize.

Dr Odom, who is head of the regulatory systems laboratory at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said: “I’m very honoured to receive this young investigator award from EMBO. The award recognises the importance of my laboratory’s work in understanding how cells are formed and regulated, and the ways in which they can become disrupted in cancer. 

“We look forward to benefiting from membership to the EMBO network which will include training opportunities for my laboratory, as well as new avenues for collaboration with other research groups across Europe.”

ENDS