Eight Oxford academics elected British Academy Fellows

Three researchers from Oxford University have received prestigious awards from the Royal Society in recognition of their work in the fields of science and medicine. The Croonian Medal and Lecture has been awarded to Professor Dame Kay Davies FMedSci FRS of Oxford's Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) for her achievements in developing a prenatal test for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and for her work characterising the binding partners of the protein dystr-ophin. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle wasting disease which affects mostly boys, who often need wheelchairs at about 12 years of age and die in their twenties, usually from respiratory or cardiac problems. There is currently no effective treatment. Kay's work has resulted in treatments poised to transform the lives of an estimate 250,000 patients worldwide. Professor Tamsin Mather, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Oxford, has been awarded the Rosalind Franklin Award for her work in the field of volcanology. Tamsin's research explores the diverse ways in which volcanoes interact with Earth's environment, the processes driving volcanic unrest and eruptions processes, as well as the hazards they pose.