Mertonian wins Copley Medal

Mertonian and Honorary Fellow Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys FRS (1968) has been awarded the Royal Society's Copley Medal, in recognition of his pioneering work on variation and mutation in the human genome. Professor Jeffreys, best known for having developed the genetic fingerprinting technique that has revolutionised forensic science, said:

"I am particularly delighted that the award recognises our work extending over three decades into exploring human DNA diversity and the processes that generate this variation, and not just our accidental foray into forensic DNA. It is also very satisfying to see the relatively new field of genome dynamics being given such wonderful recognition."

The Copley Medal, the world's oldest scientific prize, was first awarded in 1731, and has been presented to such notable figures as Darwin, Faraday, Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Dorothy Hodgkin and Francis Crick.

Professor Jeffreys will be discussing 'The Real Science Behind CSI' with another Mertonian, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe (1988), Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, at our final Merton Conversation in November.