Cancer expert honoured

HONORARY degree: Professor David Needham, left, with Professor Phil Williams

AN Oldham-born scientist has been awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Nottingham.

David Needham, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at North Carolina’s Duke University, received the Doctor of Science award, the highest honour the university can bestow.

Professor Needham attended Counthill Grammar School in Oldham before completing a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Nottingham.

Inspired by his mother’s battle with breast cancer in 1972, Professor Needham turned his attention to cancer research during his PhD in 1978 in the chemistry department at Nottingham. Since then he has gained a worldwide reputation in the field.

Professor Needham joined Duke University in 1987 and has since invented a technique where anti-cancer drugs can be loaded into “nano-capsules” and injected into the bloodstream. The capsules, made of fats, protect the body from toxic chemotherapy by keeping it in the capsule, only releasing their contents when heated. The technique is currently in clinical trials for a range of cancers including primary liver cancer and chest wall recurrence of breast cancer.

Professor Needham is also a visiting honorary professor in the pharmacy school at the University of Nottingham, encouraging new collaboration between the schools.

He received his honour - awarded to people of great distinction in their field – during a ceremony for graduates from the science faculty.

Professor Phil Williams, head of the division of biophysics and surface analysis at the University of Nottingham, gave the oration and said: “David’s intuition, innovation and rigor in research, passion for education, and commitment to improve the health and wellbeing of society is something that we all look forward to benefiting from.”