U of T faculty member elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Edited and reposted from King's College London.

Benjamin Blencowe, professor of molecular genetics, Canada Research Chair in RNA Biology and Genomics and Banbury Chair in Medical Research at the University of Toronto, has been recognised for his remarkable contributions to advancing medical science, groundbreaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and the wider public.

Blencowe is among the 54 exceptional biomedical and health scientists the Academy of Medical Sciences elected to its prestigious fellowship this year. 

The new Fellows have been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing medical science, groundbreaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and the wider public. Their work exemplifies the Academy’s mission to create an open and progressive research sector that improves health for everyone.

The expertise of Fellows elected spans a wide range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, from infectious disease and stem cell biology to veterinary medicine and dementia research. They join an esteemed Fellowship of 1,450 researchers at the heart of the Academy’s work, which includes nurturing the next generation of scientists and shaping research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

Professor Blencowe, who is also a faculty member at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, joined the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King's College London in 2024 upon receiving the Wellcome Discovery Award to study gene regulation in autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer's disease with Professors Jernej Ule and Laura Andreae. His research focuses on fundamental, RNA-directed mechanisms underlying the regulation of gene expression and how these mechanisms are disrupted in human diseases and disorders.

Professor Blencowe remarks, "It is a wonderful honour to have been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This recognition is a testament to the tremendous efforts of an outstanding team of group members and collaborators I have the privilege of working with. We are very grateful for the opportunity to advance our research directed at understanding RNA regulation and the development of new therapeutic strategies for brain disorders at King's and the Crick."