Sir Tom Blundell FRS, FMedSci - Curriculum vitae#

Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1GA.
Tel: +441223 333628 Fax: +441223 766082

Date of Birth: 7th July 1942. Place of Birth: Brighton, Sussex.

1. Academic

• 1961 Open Scholarship in Natural Sciences, Brasenose College, Oxford University.
• 1964 First Class Honours, Brasenose College, Oxford University.
• 1967 D.Phil., Oxford University.
• 1967 College Lecturer, Hertford College, Oxford University.
• 1968 Junior Research Fellow Molecular Biophysics, Linacre College, Oxford
• 1973 Lecturer, Biological Sciences, Sussex University.
• 1976 Professor of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, University of London
• 1989 Director, Imperial Cancer Research Fund Unit of Structural Molecular Biology
• 1991 Director General, Agricultural and Food Research Council
• 1994 Chief Executive, BBSRC (till 1996)
• 1995 Professorial Fellow, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University
• 1995 Sir William Dunn Professor of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge.
• 1996 Head of Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge (until 2009).
• 2003 Head, School of Biological Sciences, Cambridge (until September, 2009)
  • 9 departments, five institutes, 350 research teams, > 3000 people
• 2009 Director of Research, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

2. Honours

• 1984 Fellow of the Royal Society
• 1985 Member of EMBO
• 1986 Alcon Award for Distinguished Work on Vision Research
• 1987 Gold Medal, Institute Biotechnology;
• 1987 Krebs Medal, Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc.
• 1988 Ciba Medal, Biochemical Society;
• 1988 Feldberg Prize in Biology and Medicine
• 1993 Member Academia Europaea
• 1995 Fellow, Indian National Science Academy
• 1995 UK National Equal Opportunities Award (for work in BBSRC)
• 1996 Gold Medal, Society for Chemical Industry
• 1997 Knighthood
• 1998 First Recipient, Pfizer European Prize for Innovation
• 1998 Bernal Medal and Lecture, Royal Society
• 1999 Founding Member, Academy of Medical Sciences
• 2005 President of UK Biosciences Federation
• 2006 Honorary Member, British Biophysical Society
• 2006 Honorary Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2007 Honorary Professor, University of Chengdu, China
• 2008 Foreign Member of Third World Academy of Sciences
• 2008 Ramachandran Professor, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
• 2007 Honorary Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong
• 2009 President, Biochemical Society

3. Honorary Fellowships and Degrees

• Honorary Fellowships, Brasenose and Linacre Colleges, Oxford University;
• Honorary Fellowship, Birkbeck College, London University;
• Honorary Doctorates from 15 Universities

4. University Committees

1. Birkbeck College
1.1. Academic Board
1.2. Board of Governors
2. Sidney Sussex College
2.1. Development Committee
2.2. Finance Committee
2.3. Honorary fellowships Committee
3. University of Cambridge
3.1. General Board
3.2. Planning and Resources Committee
3.3. Buildings Committee
3.4. Council of School of Biological Sciences

5. Research Interests

• Active research group of twenty five post-doctoral researchers, post-graduate students and technical/computer staff funded by Wellcome Trust, Gates, BBSRC, MRC and industry (total grants in past 9 years in excess of £5 million).
• Published 450 research papers (over 30 in Nature and Science) on architecture of macromolecules and relation to biological function and diseases including cancer.
• Work on rational approaches to drug design. Pioneered methods of structure-based design in 1970s, 1980’s. Recently developed high throughput approaches to drug discovery and co-founded a successful company Astex.
• Produced extensive bioinformatics software that is used throughout the world.

6. Editorial Boards

• Joint editor, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 1979-
• Joint editor, Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 1995-
• Editorial Boards: Biochemistry 1988-1994; Protein Engineering, 1988-; Protein Science, 1990-1996; Molecular Medicine, 1994-1998.

7. Industry: companies founded, boards etc

• Astex Technology Ltd: Co-founder, 1999, Board Member, 1999-, Chair SAB
• Science Advisory Board, 2000-
• Biofabrika: Co-founder, 1989 - 1991
• Celltech: Non-executive Director, 1996-2004 ; Chair SAB, 1998- 2004
• UCB Celltech, Science Advisory Board, 2005 -
• SmithKline Beecham: International R&D Board, 1997-1999
• Pfizer: Consultant in UK and USA, 1983-1990
• Parke Davis: US Consultant, 1987-1990
• Oxford Molecular Group: Scientific Advisory Board, 1996-1998
• Bioprocessing: Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, 1996-1998
• Abingworth Management Ltd, Science Advisory Board, 1986-1990, 1996-
• Syntaxin: member of Science Advisory Board
• FEI: member of Science Advisory Board

8. Research Councils

• Member of Council of Science and Engineering Research Council (1998-2000) and of Agricultural and Food Research Council (1985-1990)
• Director General, Agricultural and Food Research Council (1991-1994); responsible for implementing rationalisation of institutes.
  • 32 institutes reorganized to 8; 6000 employees reduced to 4000
• Founding CEO, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, 1994-1996.
  • 8000 employees (4000 through universities, 4000 directly in 8 institutes)
• Non-executive Chairman of BBSRC: July 2009.

9. Royal Commission on the Environment

Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1998-2005), publishing reports on

• “ Energy – the Changing Climate” in 2000, which introduced the idea of 60% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, incorporated in the UK Governments White Paper on Energy in 2003;
• “Chemicals in Products”,
• “Environmental Planning”,
• “Turning the Tide – the Marine Environment”
• “Impacts of Civil Aviation on Global Warming”.

10. Other Appointments and interests

• President of UK Biochemical Society, 2008-2011
• President, UK Biosciences Federation (01/04 – 04/08): UK umbrella organisation for life sciences, 70,000 members.
• European Science and Technology Assembly, 1994-1997
• HFSP Council, 1996-1999

11. Government and other appointments

• Advisory Council on Science and Technology, Cabinet Office (ACOST) 1988-1990. Chaired by Margaret Thatcher
• Council of Royal Society, 1997-1999
• Board Member, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 1997- 2006
• Trustee, Daphne Jackson Trust, 1995- ;
• Lawes Agricultural Trust, 1998- 2009
• Member, Board, Babraham Institute, 1996 – 2002

12. Personal

In my spare time I enjoy walking in Wales, listening to opera, playing jazz and international travel. I am married to Dr Bancinyane L Sibanda and have three children: Ricky, Kelesi and Lisa.