Philip Ingham is a geneticist who has significantly furthered our knowledge of the development of Drosophila — small flies frequently used as a model organism in biological studies. Philip’s findings concerning their genes subsequently improved the understanding of genes in species throughout the whole animal kingdom.
He discovered a DNA mutation in a Drosophila gene that he named trithorax, and showed that this gene is required for maintaining the normal state of animal cells. He also uncovered the Hedgehog signaling pathway in cells, which is a key mechanism for their normal development. Malfunction of this pathway may result in diseases such as skin cancer.
Philip has lived and worked in Singapore since 2005 and is currently Vice Dean, Research and Toh Kian Chui Distinguished Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine — a partnership between Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Imperial College London. Over the course of his career, Philip has published over 180 papers and review articles.
Professional position
- Visiting Professor, Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter
- Head, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath
Subject groups
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Cell Biology
Developmental biology, Genetics (excluding population genetics)
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Other
Public understanding of science, History of science
