Ian Hickson is a molecular biologist who studies the processes involved in ageing. Ian has made important discoveries about DNA repair in cells and is known for cloning several bacterial and human DNA repair genes. He is a world leader on research into a rare condition called Bloom syndrome, which is associated with a raised incidence of many cancers.
His research focuses on gene defects that can lead to premature ageing and age-associated diseases such as cancer. He discovered the BLM gene, which is defective in Bloom syndrome. Ian also investigates the RecQ helicase, an enzyme that plays an important role in DNA repair and is encoded within the BLM gene.
Ian is now working to elucidate the link between DNA damage and cancer. He hopes to translate his laboratory findings into diagnostic and prognostic tools as well as treatments. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Subject groups
- Biochemistry and molecular cell biology
Biochemistry and molecular biology, Cell biology (incl molecular cell biology)
