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ROYAL SOCIETY MEDAL WINNER AT RGS

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Monday, 14 Nov 2011

On Thursday 10 November 2011, Royal Society fellow and RGS Old Boy, Professor Ron Laskey, returned to the School to unveil the gift of his Royal Medal to the School in the Biology Department with Old Boys Jeremy Clare, Peter King and Dr Richard Pearson, who attended RGS during Professor Laskey’s era.

 

Professor Laskey won the Royal Medal in 2009 for research into DNA and cancer.  He developed cell-free systems that allow processes to be studied in a test tube, in extracts from human cells, which will allow future developments in common cancer screening tests.  

Professor Laskey hoped that the donation of his medal to the School and its display in the Biology Department would encourage our budding scientists and medics to pursue a career in medical research after leaving RGS.  Professor Laskey left RGS to go to Oxford University before joining the Zoology Department at Cambridge University in 1983.  He left behind the RGS Biology Department’s pet Cayman, named Yapp after his tendency to snap at his keepers.  Yapp unfortunately died from snapping too vigorously at a heating element in his vivarium, thus electrocuting himself.

 

Through advances in the art of taxidermy, Yapp was still sitting in the Biology Department to this day and made a surprise appearance at Professor Laskey’s unveiling ceremony.

Four current Sixth Form pupils also attended the ceremony and lunch along with members of the RGS Biology Department and a guest speaker from Warwick University.  All were deeply impressed with Professor Laskey’s career and involvement in creating the future of DNA and cancer research.  Without a doubt, he will be an inspiration for our medics of the future.

Source: Development Office