Women Scientists

Nancy Rothwell 1957 -

At a glance:

British neuroscientist working on brain injury

Nancy Rothwell wanted to be an artist and dropped biology at 14. She managed to gain entry to read physiology at a college in London, her choice of university having been driven entirely by how close it was to great shops. And she then became completely hooked on science. She began her research career investigating the role of energy balance in obesity. It earned her a coveted Royal Society Research Fellowship in 1984. She returned back to her native Manchester in 1987 but switched research direction. She began work investigating the causes and possible prevention of brain damage from stroke. This work stemmed from a control experiment that was supposed to prove the opposite of what turned out to be the case - a moment Nancy says stands out as one of the most exciting in her life. Her subsequent research suggests that modification of cytokines, mediators of immune response in response to infection or injury, may be of benefit in a wide range of neurological conditions such as stroke and head injury. Rothwell is passionate about public engagement and has frequently spoken out in defence of animal experimentation.
Nancy Rothwell

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