Sir Melvyn Francis Greaves FMedSci, FRS (born 12 September 1941) is a British

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, and Professor of Cell Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. He is noted for his research into childhood

leukaemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

and the roles of

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

in cancer, including important discoveries in the genetics and molecular biology underpinning leukaemia.

Education

Greaves initially trained in

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

and

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see the ...

, earning a PhD degree in 1968 from

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

Career and research

In the mid-1970s his research turned to leukaemia, an interest he attributes to a tour of

Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospit ...

. He worked at the

Imperial Cancer Research Fund Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

laboratories at Lincoln's Inn Fields (now part of the Francis Crick Institute) before moving to the ICR in 1984. At the ICR he served as Director of the Leukaemia Research Fund's Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology of Leukaemia from 1984-2003, and launched the Centre for Cancer Evolution in 2013.

Selected publications

*Melvyn F. Greaves and Geoffrey Brown
"Purification of Human T and B Lymphocytes"
''The Journal of Immunology'', January 1, 1974, vol. 112 no. 1 420-423 *Melvyn F. Greaves (ed) ''Monoclonal antibodies to receptors: probes for receptor structure and function'', Chapman and Hall, 1984, *Edward S. Henderson, Thomas Andrew Lister, Melvyn F. Greaves (eds) ''Leukemia'', Saunders, 1996, *Melvyn F. Greaves (ed) ''Cancer: the evolutionary legacy '', Oxford University Press, 2000,

Awards and honours

Greaves awards and honours include: * 1986 Honorary MRCP

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 ...

London). * 1988

King Faisal Prize The King Faisal Prize ( ar, جائزة الملك فيصل, formerly King Faisal International Prize), is an annual award sponsored by King Faisal Foundation presented to "dedicated men and women whose contributions make a positive difference". T ...

in medicine for his work on

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

. * 1999 Elected a

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 ...

, UK (FMedSci). * 1999 Gold Medal, British Society for Haematology. * 2003 Elected

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 knowledge, including mathemat ...

(FRS). * 2015

Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research Prize. * 2017 Royal Medal of the Royal Society *2018

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

for services to Childhood Leukaemia Research, in the 2019 New Year Honours

References

External links