Sir Charles Peter Downes (born 15 October 1953), known as Pete Downes, is a British
biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
and chairman of
Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. Downes served as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...
from 2009 until 2018. He is the former Head of the
College of Life Sciences and co-founder of the
Division of Signal Transduction Therapy
The Division of Signal Transduction Therapy or DSTT is an organization managed by the University of Dundee, the Medical Research Council, and the pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Serono, Jan ...
(DSTT) alongside
Sir Phillip Cohen. Having contributed to research in the pharmaceutical industry for eleven years prior to joining Dundee, he is one of the top 15 most cited bio-scientists in the UK.
Career
As a pioneering biochemist, Downes was instrumental in establishing the biological importance of the inositol glycerophospholipids and their metabolites. Among his other discoveries are the identification of the mechanism of action for the drug
lithium
Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...
, which has since been used in the treatment of manic depression, and the breakthrough in finding the biochemical pathway that is the most common source of mutations leading to human cancers. As a result of this work, many new avenues have opened up into the discovery of new drugs and to deeper levels of understanding regarding many common diseases.
In his capacity as Principal he has focused on fostering research links between academia and industry particularly in his own field of life sciences; his tenure has however seen financial challenges following Government cutbacks in funding. As former Convenor of
Universities Scotland
Universities Scotland was formed in 1992 as the Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals (COSHEP) adopting its current name in 2000, when Universities UK was also formed. It represents 19 autonomous higher education institutions, 16 of ...
, Downes has spoken out against the
UK's decision to exit the European Union citing the potential adverse effect on research funding and freedom of movement for staff and students. Downes was knighted in the Queen's 2015 Birthday Honours, "For services to Higher Education and Life Sciences."
In February 2018 it was announced by the University of Dundee that Professor Downes would retire as Principal at the end of the year. In explaining his decision he stated that as he would turn 65 later in the year it seemed to be "a natural time to consider the next stage of my life."
It was announced on 2 July 2018 that Sir Pete would be succeeded as Principal and Vice-Chancellor by Professor Andrew Atherton on 1 January 2019.
Following the end of his term at Dundee, Downes was appointed chairman of
Dynamic Earth in March 2019, the geology-based visitor attraction in
Holyrood, Edinburgh
Holyrood (; sco, Halyruid, gd, Taigh an Ròid) is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, lying east of the city centre, at the foot of the Royal Mile.
The area originally took its name from Holyrood Abbey, which was the Church of ...
.
Honours and awards
*1987
Colworth Medal of the British Biochemical Society
*1991 Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
*2004 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
*2009 Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
*2015 Knight Bachelor
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Downes, Peter
1953 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Academics of the University of Dundee
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
English biochemists
Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom)
Knights Bachelor
Scientists from Manchester
Principals of the University of Dundee