Submitted by Greg Palmer on Wed, 12/05/2021 - 09:40
Principal Investigators Professor Brian Huntly and Professor Ben Simons are among 50 prominent biomedical and health scientists who have joined the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
The Academy of Medical Sciences is an independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science. Its elected Fellows are the UK’s leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service.
In 2021, the Academy's new Fellows have been selected for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science through innovative research discoveries and translating scientific developments into benefits for patients and the wider society.
Professor Brian Huntly FMedSci
Professor and Head of the Department of Haematology, Group Leader at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
Professor Huntly’s research focuses on the stem cell aspects of the evolution of haematological malignancies, in particular acute myeloid leukaemia and lymphoma. His election recognises his many contributions to the understanding and treatment of blood cancers.
Brian said “I am delighted and honoured to be elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. The Academy’s aims of bringing the best minds in biomedical research together, supporting talent, asking challenging questions and sharing our work so that all can benefit from it mirror very much our own aims here in Cambridge. Biomedical research is a hugely collaborative endeavour and I see my election as recognition of the hard work of many people who have contributed to my research and also highlighting the tremendous work we are doing at the University of Cambridge Department of Haematology.”
Professor Benjamin Simons FMedSci FRS
Royal Society EP Abraham Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Group Leader at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and Senior Group Leader of the Gurdon Institute
Professor Simons joins the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences less than a week after his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Ben has contributed to a diverse range of fields, from quantum condensed matter physics to developmental and cancer biology. His research translates concepts and approaches from statistical physics to gain predictive insights in the collective dynamics of complex systems. In biology, his studies have revealed common mechanisms of stem cell regulation, and how these programmes become subverted during the early phase of tumour growth.
Ben said: “As a theorist, and relative newcomer to the field of biomedical sciences, it is a great honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences".