King's birthday honours recognise experts in embryology and genetics

Former consultant embryologist Jane Blower was recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours List alongside Professors Andrew Mumford, Bruce Whitelaw and Gareth Evans.

Jane Blower, who just completed a four-year tenure as president of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists, was awarded an MBE for her contributions to reproductive science. In 1992, Blower was the first person in the UK to achieve a master's degree in assistive reproductive technologies (see BioNews 1316). She has held a number of preeminent regional and national clinical science roles during her 40-year career in the NHS; her contributions include establishing the embryology laboratory at Leicester Fertility Centre, which has contributed to the birth of over 1000 babies in the past three decades.

'I'm so proud of the colleagues I trained over the years, who have helped to build the flourishing service that exists in Leicester today,' she said. 'What is important now is that we encourage and inspire the next generation of reproductive scientists, to carry the profession forward.'

The honours also recognised several leading figures whose work has advanced the application of genetics to healthcare and society.

Professor Andrew Mumford, emeritus professor of genomic medicine at Bristol Medical School and professor of haematology at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, received an MBE for his services to genomic medicine. Professor Mumford has spearheaded large-scale genomic programmes across south west England, such as the NHS 100,000 Genomes Project. He is a principal investigator for the Generation Study (part of the Newborn Genomes Programme), which aims to screen 100,000 newborns for over 200 genetic conditions (see BioNews 1312 and 1262). The results of this work will inform whether such testing should be embedded in mainstream NHS practice.

Professor Mumford has expressed his gratitude to his colleagues and collaborators for the award, 'and above all, [to] families affected by genetic disorders, whose support has been instrumental in these achievements.'

Professor Bruce Whitelaw, former director of the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and professor of animal biotechnology, was appointed an OBE for his contributions to bioscience, particularly in the field of livestock genetics. His research explored how advances in genetics could improve animal welfare and productivity. At various PET (the Progress Educational Trust) events, Professor Whitelaw has discussed his work and vision regarding the use of genome editing approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9 in agriculture, stressing the importance of in-depth, widespread public engagement to guide these efforts (see BioNews 885, 992 and 995).

Lastly, Professor Gareth Evans, emeritus professor of medical genetics at the University of Manchester and consultant in medical genetics at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, described his newly announced MBE as 'the culmination of 36 years of work on inherited cancers.' The accolade recognises his achievements in cancer genetics, and the impact of his work on the understanding, diagnosis and care of breast and ovarian cancers (see BioNews 733, 749, 761 and 922).