Wednesday 1 December 2010
Dr Janine Erler from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has been named as one of the UK’s most impressive professional women.
Dr Erler was chosen in the pioneer category of the Red's Hot Women Awards, recognising her as “a trailblazer who has made an astonishing breakthrough in her field".
Dr Erler was selected by a panel of judges including Sarah Brown, television industry executive Elisabeth Murdoch, internet entrepreneurs Martha Lane Fox and Natalie Massenet, vice-chairman of West Ham and star of BBC’s The Apprentice Karren Brady and Red magazine editor-in-chief Sam Baker. The award was presented at a ceremony at the Saatchi Gallery in London and Dr Erler today attended a reception hosted by Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron, at Number 10 Downing Street.
Judge Sarah Brown said the choice of Dr Erler was unanimous, adding: "Janine is a phenomenal scientist".
Judge Elisabeth Murdoch said: "I think Janine will have an enormous impact on many people's lives."
Dr Erler and her team have had much success identifying biological factors that control metastasis, the spread of cancer around the body that is responsible for 90 per cent of cancer-related deaths. Her recent significant research includes the finding that the enzyme LOX is a key player in metastasis and is a potential target for new cancer treatments.
Professor Richard Marais from the ICR’s Section of Cell and Molecular Biology, which includes Dr Erler’s Hypoxia and Metastasis Team, says: “Dr Erler’s work has the potential to help thousands of people with cancer, and we are very pleased her achievements have been recognised.”
-ENDS-
Media Contact: ICR Science Press Officer Jane Bunce on [email protected] on 0207 153 5106 or after hours 077217 47900
Notes to editors:
View footage of the awards ceremony
The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
- The ICR is Europe’s leading cancer research centre
- The ICR has been ranked the UK’s top academic research centre, based on the results of the Higher Education Funding Council’s Research Assessment Exercise
- The ICR works closely with partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to ensure patients immediately benefit from new research. Together the two organisations form the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe
- The ICR has charitable status and relies on voluntary income, spending 90 pence in every pound of total income directly on research
- As a college of the University of London, the ICR also provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction
- Over its 100-year history, the ICR’s achievements include identifying the potential link between smoking and lung cancer which was subsequently confirmed, discovering that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer and isolating more cancer-related genes than any other organisation in the world
For more information visit www.icr.ac.uk