Professor Alan Ashworth

Professor Alan Ashworth, CEO of the Institute of Cancer Research, is noted for his work on genes involved in cancer susceptibility.

He was a key part of the team that in 1995 discovered the gene BRCA2, which is linked to an increased risk of some types of cancer, a discovery that is now helping to identify women at high risk of the disease.

Ten years later, Ashworth identified a way to exploit genetic weaknesses in cancer cells including mutated BRCA 1 or BRCA2, leading to a new approach to cancer treatment.

www.icr.ac.uk

Footage kindly supplied by the BBC

Back to Imagine Great Ideas