Douglas Roland Higgs FRS (born 13 January 1951) is a Professor of Molecular Haematology and director of the

Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine The MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford is a research institute located at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Founded in 1989 by Sir David Weatherall, the institute focuses on furthering our understand ...

, at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. He is known for his work on the regulation of alpha-globin and the genetics of

alpha-thalassemia Alpha-thalassemia (α-thalassemia, α-thalassaemia) is a form of thalassemia involving the genes ''HBA1'' and ''HBA2''. Thalassemias are a group of inherited blood conditions which result in the impaired production of hemoglobin, the molecule t ...

. He is currently working in understanding the mechanisms by which any mammalian gene is switched on and off during differentiation and development.

Education

He was educated at

Alleyn's School Alleyn's School is a 4–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Church of England, day school and sixth form in Dulwich, London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of Ed ...

and qualified in medicine at

King's College Hospital King's College Hospital is a major teaching hospital and major trauma centre in Denmark Hill, Camberwell in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH". It is managed by K ...

Medical School in 1974, and trained as a haematologist. He became a registrar in Haematology at Kings College Hospital in 1976.

Research and career

He joined the Molecular Haematology Unit of the Medical Research Council at Oxford in 1977. In 1996 he was appointed Ad Hominem Professor of Molecular

Haematology Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...

, in 2001 he became a director of the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit. In 2012 Higgs was appointed director of the Wetherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. Higgs is a Senior Kurti Fellow at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

Honours and awards

*1993

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

*1994

Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to pr ...

*2001

Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) is an award for medical scientists who are judged by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences for the "excellence of their science, their contribution to medicine and society and the range of th ...

*2005

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

*2013

Buchanan Medal The Buchanan Medal is awarded by the Royal Society "in recognition of distinguished contribution to the medical sciences generally". The award was created in 1897 from a fund to the memory of London physician Sir George Buchanan (1831–1895). It ...

of the Royal Society for "''his seminal work on the regulation of the human alpha-globin gene cluster and the role of the ATRX protein in genetic disease.''"

Works

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgs, Douglas Roland 1951 births Living people People educated at Alleyn's School Alumni of King's College London Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford British haematologists