Biography
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics in the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge and Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Before this appointment, she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International Partnerships) at the University of Cambridge and was Head of the Department of Genetics from 2013-2021. She is a Fellow of Darwin College.
A renowned mammalian developmental geneticist, genome biologist and epigeneticist, Professor Ferguson-Smith leads a research group comprised of experimental and computational scientists. They focus on the epigenetic control of genome function, particularly on models of epigenetic inheritance with implications for health and disease. Committed to the training and professional development of new talent, her team’s current work focuses on two main areas – the genetics of epigenetic variation at mammalian retrotransposons and its influence on phenotypic variation; and the function and regulation of genomic imprinting. In addition, the team investigates how genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors influence cellular and developmental processes.
In 2017, Anne was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2021 received their Buchanan Medal for her pioneering work on epigenetics. In 2023, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her research contributions.
