Skip to content

 

Fellows Directory

John Clegg

John Clegg

Professor John Clegg FRS

Fellow


Elected: 1999

Biography

John ‘JB’ Clegg is a molecular biologist whose research into haemoglobin — the protein in blood that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body — has improved our understanding of population genetics and the spread of malaria. John focuses his work on thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that results in the production of less haemoglobin and fewer red blood cells.

Using modern molecular tools for genetic analysis to study the distribution of thalassemia in populations, John demonstrated that although this blood defect can cause an overload of iron, bone deformities and cardiovascular illness, people carrying a single gene for thalassemia also have increased protection against some forms of malaria.

The World Health Organization estimates that at least five per cent of the world’s population carries a thalassemia gene. John’s research suggests that natural selection has improved the success of these individuals and thus increased the occurrence of this genetic trait in malarial regions of the world.

Professional positions

Professor Emeritus of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford

Interest and expertise

Subject groups

  • Biochemistry and molecular cell biology
    • Biochemistry and molecular biology
  • Organismal biology, evolution and ecology
    • Biological Anthropology
  • Health and human sciences
    • Molecular medicine

Keywords

haemoglobin, thalassaemia, malaria

Was this page useful?
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you for your feedback. Please help us improve this page by taking our short survey.