Professor Kim Nasmyth FRS is the Whitley Professor of Biochemistry (Trinity College, Oxford

Trinity College, Oxford

The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...

). Nasmyth was formerly the Director of the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology is a basic biomedical research center sponsored largely by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, and located in the Campus Vienna Biocenter ....

 (IMP) in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 and the Head of the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

. His research focuses on the fundamental questions of molecular biology

Molecular biology

Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...

, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast, having been instrumental to baking and brewing since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally isolated from the skin of grapes...

as a model organism

Model organism

A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...

. He is a codiscoverer of cohesin

Cohesin

Cohesin is a protein complex that regulates the separation of sister chromatids during cell division, either mitosis or meiosis.- Structure :...

, a protein complex

Protein complex

A multiprotein complex is a group of two or more associated polypeptide chains. If the different polypeptide chains contain different protein domain, the resulting multiprotein complex can have multiple catalytic functions...

 crucial for faithful chromosome

Chromosome

A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...

 segregation during cell division

Cell division

Cell division is the process by which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells . Cell division is usually a small segment of a larger cell cycle. This type of cell division in eukaryotes is known as mitosis, and leaves the daughter cell capable of dividing again. The corresponding sort...

. He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering

Campaign for Science and Engineering

The Campaign for Science and Engineering is a non-profit organization which promotes science and engineering in the UK. It focuses on arguing for more research funding, promoting a high-tech and knowledge-based economy, highlighting the need for top-quality science and maths education at all...

. In the year 1999 he won the Wittgenstein-Preis

Wittgenstein-Preis

The Wittgenstein-Preis is the highest Austrian science award.It is awarded once per year by the Austrian Science Fund on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Science.The prize money of 1.5 million euro is tied to research activities in the following six years....

 

Awards

• 1985 Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization
• 1989 Fellow of the Royal Society
• 1997 Louis-Jeantet-Preis
• 1999 Wittgenstein-Preis
  Wittgenstein-Preis
  The Wittgenstein-Preis is the highest Austrian science award.It is awarded once per year by the Austrian Science Fund on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Science.The prize money of 1.5 million euro is tied to research activities in the following six years....
  
  
• 1999 Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
  
  
• 2007 Gairdner Foundation International Award
  Gairdner Foundation International Award
  The 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...