Chris Higgins (academic)

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Christopher Francis Higgins
Born (1955-06-24) 24 June 1955 (age 70) [1]
NationalityBritish
Alma mater Royal College of Music
Durham University
ChildrenFive
Awards FRSE
FMedSci
EMBO member
FRSA
Scientific career
Fields Genetics
Institutions Durham University
University of Oxford
Imperial College London
University of Dundee
Thesis Peptide transport by embryos of germinating barley, Hordeum vulgare  (1979)
Doctoral advisor John W. Payne [2] [3] [4]
Website www.dur.ac.uk/vice.chancellor

Christopher Francis Higgins FRSE FRSA FMedSci (born 24 June 1955) is a British molecular biologist, geneticist, academic and scientific advisor. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Durham University from 2007 to 2014. He took early retirement on 30 September 2014, following a discussion at Senate on limiting the powers of the Vice Chancellor. [5] He was previously the director of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Head of Division in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.

Contents

Early life

Higgins was born on 24 June 1955 in Cambridge, England. [1] [6] He studied botany at Grey College, Durham University, graduating with a first class degree in 1976. [7] He was awarded a PhD in 1979 for his study of peptide transporters in the embryos of germinating Barley. [3] [4] [8] Working at University of Dundee, his focus turned to genetics and cell biology.

Career

Higgins was appointed Nuffield Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. He has published over 200 papers in leading scientific journals like Nature [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] Science [22] [23] and Cell . [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

In April 2007, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Durham University. He succeeded Sir Kenneth Calman and became the University's 23rd Vice-Chancellor. [8] He took early retirement on 30 September 2014, following a discussion at Senate on limiting the powers of the Vice Chancellor. [5]

Higgins has been recognised by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as a 'Most Highly Cited' author. Further awards have been the CIBA Medal, Fleming Prize, and a Howard Hughes International Scholarship [33] along with election to Fellow of the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Society of Arts and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Alongside his academic success, Professor Higgins has also served as a scientific advisor for the House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cell Research and advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology. At present Higgins is the chair of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, International Review Panel, DKFZ (German National Cancer Centre, Heidelberg) and a trustee of the Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology.

Personal life

Higgins is not currently married, although he has been married twice. He has five daughters, two from his first marriage and three from the second. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 "HIGGINS, Prof. Christopher Francis" (Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press).(subscription required)
  2. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Payne, J. W. (1981). "The Peptide pools of germinating barley grains: Relation to hydrolysis and transport of storage proteins". Plant Physiology. 67 (4): 785–792. doi:10.1104/pp.67.4.785. PMC   425773 . PMID   16661755.
  3. 1 2 Higgins, C. F.; Payne, J. W. (1978). "Peptide transport by germinating barley embryos: Evidence for a single common carrier for di- and oligopeptides". Planta. 138 (3): 217–221. Bibcode:1978Plant.138..217H. doi:10.1007/BF00386814. PMID   24414049. S2CID   23986549.
  4. 1 2 Higgins, Chris (2012). Peptide transport by embryos of germinating barley, Hordeum vulgare (PhD thesis). Durham University.
  5. 1 2 Tallentire, Mark (5 March 2014). "Durham University vice-chancellor to retire in September". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  6. 1 2 Keating, Matt (29 May 2007). "Christopher Higgins: Notes from a small university". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Vice-Chancellor". Durham University. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  8. 1 2 Durham welcomes new Vice Chancellor Durham University; 14-04-2007; accessed 23-04-2007
  9. ↑ Higgins, C. F. (2007). "Multiple molecular mechanisms for multidrug resistance transporters". Nature. 446 (7137): 749–757. Bibcode:2007Natur.446..749H. doi:10.1038/nature05630. PMID   17429392. S2CID   4414214.
  10. ↑ Van Veen, H. W.; Callaghan, R.; Soceneantu, L.; Sardini, A.; Konings, W. N.; Higgins, C. F. (1998). "A bacterial antibiotic-resistance gene that complements the human multidrug-resistance P-glycoprotein gene". Nature. 391 (6664): 291–295. Bibcode:1998Natur.391..291V. doi:10.1038/34669. PMID   9440694. S2CID   205003632.
  11. ↑ Moxon, E. R.; Higgins, C. F. (1997). "E. Coli genome sequence. A blueprint for life". Nature. 389 (6647): 120–121. Bibcode:1997Natur.389Q.120M. doi: 10.1038/38107 . PMID   9296482. S2CID   4404558.
  12. ↑ Py, B. A.; Higgins, C. F.; Krisch, H. M.; Carpousis, A. J. (1996). "A DEAD-box RNA helicase in the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome". Nature. 381 (6578): 169–172. Bibcode:1996Natur.381..169P. doi:10.1038/381169a0. PMID   8610017. S2CID   4273395.
  13. ↑ Hyde, S. C.; Gill, D. R.; Higgins, C. F.; Trezise, A. E. O.; MacVinish, L. J.; Cuthbert, A. W.; Ratcliff, R.; Evans, M. J.; Colledge, W. H. (1993). "Correction of the ion transport defect in cystic fibrosis transgenic mice by gene therapy". Nature. 362 (6417): 250–255. Bibcode:1993Natur.362..250H. doi:10.1038/362250a0. PMID   7681548. S2CID   4273074.
  14. ↑ Valverde, M. A.; Díaz, M.; Sepúlveda, F. V.; Gill, D. R.; Hyde, S. C.; Higgins, C. F. (1992). "Volume-regulated chloride channels associated with the human multidrug-resistance P-glycoprotein". Nature. 355 (6363): 830–833. Bibcode:1992Natur.355..830V. doi:10.1038/355830a0. PMID   1371598. S2CID   4275168.
  15. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Hyde, S. C. (1991). "Channelling our thoughts". Nature. 352 (6332): 194–195. Bibcode:1991Natur.352..194H. doi:10.1038/352194a0. PMID   1713302. S2CID   5525702.
  16. ↑ Hyde, S. C.; Emsley, P.; Hartshorn, M. J.; Mimmack, M. M.; Gileadi, U.; Pearce, S. R.; Gallagher, M. P.; Gill, D. R.; Hubbard, R. E.; Higgins, C. F. (1990). "Structural model of ATP-binding proteing associated with cystic fibrosis, multidrug resistance and bacterial transport". Nature. 346 (6282): 362–365. Bibcode:1990Natur.346..362H. doi:10.1038/346362a0. PMID   1973824. S2CID   1364720.
  17. ↑ Dorman, C. J.; Bhriain, N. N.; Higgins, C. F. (1990). "DNA supercoiling and environmental regulation of virulence gene expression in Shigella flexneri". Nature. 344 (6268): 789–792. Bibcode:1990Natur.344..789D. doi:10.1038/344789a0. PMID   2184366. S2CID   4358173.
  18. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Hiles, I. D.; Salmond, G. P. C.; Gill, D. R.; Downie, J. A.; Evans, I. J.; Holland, I. B.; Gray, L.; Buckel, S. D.; Bell, A. W.; Hermodson, M. A. (1986). "A family of related ATP-binding subunits coupled to many distinct biological processes in bacteria". Nature. 323 (6087): 448–450. Bibcode:1986Natur.323..448H. doi:10.1038/323448a0. PMID   3762694. S2CID   4255180.
  19. ↑ Manson, M. D.; Blank, V.; Brade, G.; Higgins, C. F. (1986). "Peptide chemotaxis in E. Coli involves the Tap signal transducer and the dipeptide permease". Nature. 321 (6067): 253–256. Bibcode:1986Natur.321..253M. doi:10.1038/321253a0. PMID   3520334. S2CID   1140124.
  20. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Ames, G. F.; Barnes, W. M.; Clement, J. M.; Hofnung, M. (1982). "A novel intercistronic regulatory element of prokaryotic operons". Nature. 298 (5876): 760–762. Bibcode:1982Natur.298..760H. doi:10.1038/298760a0. PMID   7110312. S2CID   4250421.
  21. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Haag, P. D.; Nikaido, K.; Ardeshir, F.; Garcia, G.; Ames, G. F. (1982). "Complete nucleotide sequence and identification of membrane components of the histidine transport operon of S. Typhimurium". Nature. 298 (5876): 723–727. Bibcode:1982Natur.298..723H. doi:10.1038/298723a0. PMID   7050725. S2CID   4266380.
  22. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Linton, K. J. (2001). "STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY: The xyz of ABC Transporters". Science. 293 (5536): 1782–1784. doi:10.1126/science.1065588. PMID   11546861. S2CID   83363016.
  23. ↑ Tame, J. R.; Murshudov, G. N.; Dodson, E. J.; Neil, T. K.; Dodson, G. G.; Higgins, C. F.; Wilkinson, A. J. (1994). "The structural basis of sequence-independent peptide binding by OppA protein". Science. 264 (5165): 1578–1581. Bibcode:1994Sci...264.1578T. doi:10.1126/science.8202710. PMID   8202710.
  24. ↑ Higgins, C. F. (1995). "The ABC of channel regulation". Cell. 82 (5): 693–696. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(95)90465-4 . PMID   7671298. S2CID   16514040.
  25. ↑ Higgins, C. F. (1994). "Flip-flop: The transmembrane translocation of lipids". Cell. 79 (3): 393–395. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(94)90248-8. PMID   7954806. S2CID   22464923.
  26. ↑ Owen-Hughes, T. A.; Pavitt, G. D.; Santos, D. S.; Sidebotham, J. M.; Hulton, C. S.; Hinton, J. C.; Higgins, C. F. (1992). "The chromatin-associated protein H-NS interacts with curved DNA to influence DNA topology and gene expression". Cell. 71 (2): 255–265. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(92)90354-F. PMID   1423593. S2CID   33653978.
  27. ↑ Gill, D. R.; Hyde, S. C.; Higgins, C. F.; Valverde, M. A.; Mintenig, G. M.; Sepúlveda, F. V. (1992). "Separation of drug transport and chloride channel functions of the human multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein". Cell. 71 (1): 23–32. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(92)90263-C. PMID   1382860. S2CID   10797659.
  28. ↑ Hulton, C. S.; Seirafi, A.; Hinton, J. C.; Sidebotham, J. M.; Waddell, L.; Pavitt, G. D.; Owen-Hughes, T.; Spassky, A.; Buc, H.; Higgins, C. F. (1990). "Histone-like protein H1 (H-NS), DNA supercoiling, and gene expression in bacteria". Cell. 63 (3): 631–642. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(90)90458-Q. PMID   2171779. S2CID   44501388.
  29. ↑ Higgins, C. F.; Dorman, C. J.; Stirling, D. A.; Waddell, L.; Booth, I. R.; May, G.; Bremer, E. (1988). "A physiological role for DNA supercoiling in the osmotic regulation of gene expression in S. Typhimurium and E. Coli". Cell. 52 (4): 569–584. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(88)90470-9. PMID   2830029. S2CID   43197280.
  30. ↑ Newbury, S. F.; Smith, N. H.; Higgins, C. F. (1987). "Differential mRNA stability controls relative gene expression within a polycistronic operon". Cell. 51 (6): 1131–1143. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(87)90599-X. PMID   2446776. S2CID   2227781.
  31. ↑ Newbury, S. F.; Smith, N. H.; Robinson, E. C.; Hiles, I. D.; Higgins, C. F. (1987). "Stabilization of translationally active mRNA by prokaryotic REP sequences". Cell. 48 (2): 297–310. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(87)90433-8. PMID   2433046. S2CID   43061195.
  32. ↑ Stern, M. J.; Ames, G. F.; Smith, N. H.; Robinson, E. C.; Higgins, C. F. (1984). "Repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences: A major component of the bacterial genome". Cell. 37 (3): 1015–1026. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(84)90436-7. PMID   6378385. S2CID   34493605.
  33. ↑ "Professor Christopher Higgins". Archived from the original on 4 August 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007. Human Genetics Commission Website
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