20 Facts About Fiona Watt

Fiona Watt was born on 28 March 1956 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Fiona Watt's father was a dental surgeon who combined his clinical work with an active research programme.

Fiona Watt's family were members of the Church of Scotland.

Fiona Watt knew she wanted to be a scientist from a very young age.

Fiona Watt obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Natural Sciences in 1976, and her master's degree in 1979, both at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge.

Fiona Watt obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford in 1979, supervised by Henry Harris with a thesis on Microtubule-organizing centres in cells in culture and in hybrids derived from them'.

Fiona Watt was a Fellow of St John's College and the first Herchel Smith Professor of Molecular Genetics at Cambridge University.

Fiona Watt's work has resulted in new insights into how epidermal deregulation leads to tumor formation, including the roles played by differentiated cells, bacteria and immune cells.

Fiona Watt uncovered new mechanisms by which integrins contribute to cancer, including the first tumour-associated integrin mutation.

Fiona Watt identified the first Wnt-inhibitory mutation that stimulates tumour formation.

Fiona Watt has played a key role in promoting UK government investment in stem cell research, for example, as specialist adviser to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.

Fiona Watt is the former president of the British Society for Cell Biology and the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Fiona Watt served as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cell Science for 20 years and then as a founding Deputy Editor of eLife.

In December 2020 a whistleblowing investigation was triggered by UK Research and Innovation, determining that Fiona Watt had acted in a bullying manner.

Fiona Watt remained in post until her term as MRC Executive Chair ended in early 2022, then took up her new position as director of the European Molecular Biology Organization.

Fiona Watt is a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Fiona Watt was elected an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008.

Fiona Watt is a Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.

Fiona Watt was elected an Honorary Member of Society for Investigative Dermatology and Honorary Fellow, British Pharmacological Society.

Fiona Watt is a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, Member of Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and is a member of several advisory boards, including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Scientific Advisory Committee and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Advisory Board.