Pre-appointment hearing with the Chair-elect of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Professor Sir Tom Blundell - Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee Contents



Annex C

Curriculum Vitae: Sir Tom Blundell FRS, FMedSci

Chair of School of Biological Sciences and Sir William Dunn Professor of Biochemistry,

Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge,

Date of Birth: 7th July 1942. Place of Birth: Brighton, Sussex.

1. Academic
1961 Open Scholarship in Natural Sciences, Brasenose College, Oxford University.
1964 First Class Honours, Brasenose College, Oxford University.
1967 D.Phil., Oxford University.
1967 College Lecturer, Hertford College, Oxford University.
1968 Junior Research Fellow Molecular Biophysics. Linacre College, Oxford
1973 Lecturer, Biological Sciences, Sussex University.
1976 Professor, Department of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, University of London
1989 Director, Imperial Cancer Research Fund Unit of Structural Molecular Biology
1991 Director General, Agricultural and Food Research Council
1994 Chief Executive, BBSRC (till 1996)
1995 Sir William Dunn Professor of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge.
1996 Head of Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge (until 2009)
2003 Chair, School of Biological Sciences. Cambridge (until 2009)
2009 Director of Research and Emeritus Professor, Department of Biochemistry

2. Honours
1984 Fellow of the Royal Society
1985 Member of EMBO
1986 Alcon Award for Distinguished Work on Vision esearch
1987 Gold Medal, Institute Biotechnology: Krebs Medal, Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc.
1988 Ciba Medal, Biochemical Society; Feldberg Prize in Biology and Medicine
1993 Member Academia Europaea
1995 Fellow, Indian National Science Academy;
1995 UK National Equal Opportunities Award (for work in BBSRC)
1996 Gold Medal, Society for Chemical Industry
1997 Knighthood
1998 First Recipient, Pfizer European Prize for Innovation
1998 Bernal Medal and Lecture, Royal Society
1999 Founding Member, Academy of Medical Sciences
2006 honorary Member, British Biophysical Society; Honorary Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry
2008 Associate Fellow, Academy of Third World Science

3. Honorary Fellowships and Degrees

Honorary Fellowships, Brasenose and Linacre Colleges, Oxford University;

Honorary Fellowship, Birkbeck College, London University:

Honorary Doctorates from 14 Universities

4. Sidney Sussex College

  • 1995 Professorial Fellow, Sidney Sussex College. Cambridge University
  • Development Committee. Finance Committee, Honorary fellowships Committee

5. Research Interests

I have an active research group of twenty five post-doctoral researchers, post-graduate students and technical/computer staff funded by Wellcome Trust, Gates. BBSRC, MRC and industry (total grants in past 9 years in excess of £5 million). I have published over 400 research papers (over 30 in Nature and Science). My research interests are in the definition of the architecture of macromolecules and their assemblies and the relation to biological function and diseases including cancer, Techniques used in my laboratory include biochemistry, protein crystallography and bio-computing. I have used X-ray crystallography to define structures of multiprotein complexes involved in DNA repair, including BRCA2 and mutations that occur in breast and other cancers, Conformations of polypeptide hormones, growth factors and their receptors, including work on insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, oxvtocin, nerve growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor and fibroblast growth factor complex with its receptor architecture of cellular signalling systems such as protein kinases and their complexes that transduce the intracellular response to growth factors and hormones. These interests have led to work on rational approaches to drug design, I have pioneered methods of structure-based design in 1970s, 1980"s and early 1990's. In the past decade I have developed high throughput and fragment-based approaches to drug discovery and co-founded a successful company Astex. I have also produced extensive bioinformatics software that is used throughout the world.

6. Editorial Boards

  • Joint editor, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 1979
  • Joint editor, Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 1995-
  • Editorial Boards: Biochemistry 1988-1994: Protein Engineering, 1988-; Protein Science, 1990-1996: Molecular Medicine, 1994-1998.

7. Industry: companies founded, boards etc

  • Astex Technology Ltd: Co-founder, 1999, Board Member, 1999-, Chairman of Science Advisory Board, 2000
  • Biofabrika: Co-founder, 1989 - 1991
  • Celltech: Consultant, 1980-1983; Non-executive Director. 1996-2004 ; Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, 1998-2004
  • UCB Celltech, Science Advisory Board, 2005 -
  • SmithKline Beecham: International R&D Board, 1997-1999, Pfizer: Consultant in UK and USA, 1983-1990, Parke Davis: US Consultant, 1987-1990, Oxford Molecular Group: Scientific Advisory Board, 1996-1998, Bioprocessing: Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, 1996-1998
  • Abingworth Management Ltd. Science Advisory Board, 1986-1990, 1996

8. Research Councils

  • Member of Council of Science and Engineering Research Council (1998-2000) and of Agricultural and Food Research Council (1985-1990)
  • Director General. Agricultural and Food Research Council (1991-1994): responsible for implementing rationalisation of institutes.
  • Founding CEO, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, 1994-1996.

9. Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1998-2005), publishing reports on" Energy—the Changing Climate" in 2000, which introduced the idea of 60% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, incorporated in the UK Governments White Paper on Energy in 2003; "Chemicals in Products", "Environmental Planning", "Turning the Tide—the Marine Environment" and "Impacts of Civil Aviation on Global Warming".

10. Other Appointments and interests

  • President, Biochemical Society, 01 January 2009
  • President, UK Biosciences Federation (01/04-4/08):UK umbrella organisation for life sciences, 70,000members.
  • European Science and Technology Assembly, 1994-1997
  • HFSP Council, 1996-1999

11. Government and other appointments

  • Advisory Council on Science and Technology, Cabinet Office (ACOST) 1988-1990
  • Council of Royal Society. 1997-1999
  • Member of Board, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 1997-2006
  • Trustee, Daphne Jackson Trust. 1995- ;
  • Lawes Agricultural -trust, 1998
  • Member, Board, Babraham Institute, 1996-2002

12. Personal

In my spare time I enjoy walking in Wales, listening to opera, playing jazz and international travel. I am married to Dr Bancinyane L Sibanda and have three children.



 
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