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Natural Sciences: Other eminent Fellows

This page introduces you to some of the Fellows of the College in various Natural Sciences subjects who do not routinely supervise undergraduates.

	Professor Michael Ashburner, FRS Michael Ashburner has been at Churchill man and boy. He was one of the very first undergraduates to join the College back in the 1960s. He is a geneticist, and has for many years been a leading authority on the geneticist's favourite animal, the fruit fly, Drosophila. He now plays a leading role in the Human Genome Project. You can read more about him on: http://www.rheogene.com and you can see him getting an honorary degree from the University of Crete at http://www.biology.uoc.gr/activities/epitimos/epitimos_en.htm.
	Professor Robert Edwards, FRS Bob Edwards worked for many years in the Department of Physiology. Just over twenty-five years ago, he became famous for the development, with Dr Patrick Steptoe, of the technique of in vitro fertilization, which resulted in the birth of Louise Brown, and many thousand of babies since that time. His work has had an immense impact throughout the world, and some of its excitement is conveyed on the BBC Website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3093429.stm. Bob is seen regularly around Churchill bringing in guests from all over the world.
	Professor Anthony Hewish, FRS You can read all about Tony Hewish in the Nobel Prize Website at http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1974/hewish-autobio.html He comes into lunch in Churchill most days.
	Professor Archie Howie, FRS Archie Howie was one of the very first fellows of Churchill, and is a pioneer in the use of electron microscopy for examining physical materials. He was Head of the University Department of Physics (the Cavendish Laboratory, and is now President of the Senior Common Room of Churchill College.
	Professor Richard Keynes, FRS Richard Keynes was Professor of Physiology and Head of the Department of Physiology. Not only has he done pioneering work on the mechanisms underlying the conduction of the action potential along nerve fibres, but he has also written extensively about the life and work of his great-grandfather, Charles Darwin.
	Professor Simon Laughlin, FRS Simon is a Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Zoology. He has worked in Australia, Germany and United States and has the misfortune to play the bassoon. Simon uses insect visual systems and mathematical models to explore the design of eyes and brains. Recently he has studied eye size in birds, how insects neurons code moving objects, how male housefly eyes are designed for chasing female houseflies, and why the mammalian cerebral cortex must be energy efficient. See: http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/laughlin/.
	Professor Ken Siddle Ken Siddle is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology and works in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry. He has been a Fellow of Churchill since 1982. He has an active research group studying the mechanism of action of insulin and insulin-like growth factors, with relevance to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. He lectures on insulin action and diabetes to both medical and natural sciences undergraduates, and is also much involved in training programmes for postgraduates. Away from his academic duties he is Senior Treasurer of Cambridge University Cricket Club, in which capacity he helps to run the University cricket programme (which still includes First Class matches against county opposition at Fenner's ground in Cambridge, as well as the annual Varsity Match at Lord's).
	Professor Henning Sirringhaus Professor Henning Sirringhaus is Hitachi Professor of Electron Device Physics and is based in the Optoelectronics Group in the Cavendish Laboratory. He is involved in exciting research which promises to enable us to have large TV screens which will be as flexible as table-cloths. His work is described on his website at http://www-oe.phy.cam.ac.uk/fet/people/hs220/.
	Dr Martin Wells Martin Wells is another of our Fellows with distinguished ancestry: his grandfather was H.G. Wells. Martin knows more about the Octopus than anyone else in the world, and is pretty expert on invertebrates in general. Martin really enjoys his fascination with marine biology, and spends a lot of time on his boat writing and thinking about the subject. A flavour of his approach can be found in this book review:- http://www.2think.org/wells.shtml
	Professor Dudley Williams, FRS Dudley Williams is Professor of Organic Chemistry.