General
Press Releases
Press
Release November
11, 2003Internationally
Acclaimed Scientist Professor
Ian Wilmut, to deliver The
2003 Sir Winston Scott Memorial Lecture.
Professor
Ian Wilmut, the British scientist who cloned “Dolly” the
sheep, will deliver the 28th Sir Winston Scott
Memorial Lecture.
Professor
Wilmut, who is Head of the Department of Gene Expression and
Development at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, will speak on
the topic “Cloning in Biology and Medicine.”
The
lecture takes place on Monday, November 24, 2003 at 8 p.m. at
the Frank Collymore Hall.
In
announcing Professor Wilmut as this year’s lecturer, Governor
Dr. Marion Williams indicated that the professor’s study of
embryonic development and the nuclear transfer process used to
clone animals has revolutionised modern science.
According to her, Professor Wilmut’s pioneering work in
the science of cloning could result in treatment for
degenerative disorders such as diabetes and Parkinson’s
disease and could be useful in biology, medicine and
agriculture. “The Bank is most pleased that the professor will
be able to share some of his revolutionary research, much of
which can be of immense benefit to Barbadians and to the
world,” the Governor further stated.
Professor
Wilmut obtained a B.Sc. in Agricultural Science at the
University of Nottingham before studying at the University of
Cambridge, where he was awarded a PH.D. in 1971. His subsequent
Research at Cambridge led to the birth of the first calf from a
frozen embryo - “Frosty”- in 1973. Besides heading a
department at the Roslin Institute, he serves as scientific
advisor to Geron Bio-Med, a wholly owned subsidiary of Geron
Corp of Menlo Park, California.
The
professor has written extensively on the subject of cloning,
including articles for the Time, New Scientist and Scientific
American journals. In 2000, with coauthors Colin Tudge and
Keith Campbell, he published the Second Creation: Dolly and
the Age of Biological Control. This publication describes
the
research
leading to the birth of “Dolly”, the first animal to develop
after nuclear transfer from an adult cell. The very provocative
work also presents initial impressions of the value of cloning
techniques.
The
Sir Winston Scott Memorial Lecture was started in 1976 to
commemorate the outstanding public service contribution of the
late Sir Winston Scott, Barbados’ first native Governor
General, and to celebrate the country’s Independence.
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