Andrew Wyllie
Encyclopedia
Andrew H. Wyllie is a Scottish
pathologist. In 1972, while working with electron microscope
s at the University of Aberdeen
he realised the significance of natural cell death. He and his colleagues John Kerr and Alastair Currie called this process apoptosis
, from the use of this word in an ancient Greek
poem to mean "falling off" (like leaves falling from a tree). His works have contributed to the understanding of apoptosis in health and in disease, and he continues to lecture to undergraduate medical and natural sciences students in Cambridge today.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
pathologist. In 1972, while working with electron microscope
Electron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
s at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
he realised the significance of natural cell death. He and his colleagues John Kerr and Alastair Currie called this process apoptosis
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
, from the use of this word in an ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
poem to mean "falling off" (like leaves falling from a tree). His works have contributed to the understanding of apoptosis in health and in disease, and he continues to lecture to undergraduate medical and natural sciences students in Cambridge today.
Career and awards
- University of Aberdeen - BSc, MB, ChB, PhD.
- Professor of Pathology and Head of the Department, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, England, and an Honorary Consultant, Addenbrooke's HospitalAddenbrooke's HospitalAddenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
, CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. - 1994 - Bertner Award, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, University of TexasUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, USA. - 1995 - Fellow of the Royal Society.
- 1998 - Hans Bloemendal Award, University of NijmegenRadboud University NijmegenRadboud University Nijmegen is a public university with a strong focus on research in Nijmegen, the Netherlands...
. - 1999 - Gairdner Foundation International AwardGairdner Foundation International AwardThe Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...
.