| Citation | Mel Greaves is distinguished for his seminal contributions to the cell biology of normal and leukaemic cells, leading to major advances in fundamental knowledge and clinical practice. His pioneering work on cell surface marker antigens defined the cellular lineage of different leukaemias. These methods are now in routine clinical use throughout the world. His critical contributions include the characterisation and cloning of the transferrin receptor and the stem cell marker CD34, and promiscuous gene expression in multipotent progenitor cells. His innovative molecular genetic studies on identical twins using neonatal blood spots revealed the developmental origins, in utero, of leukaemia fusion genes. These studies, combined with his original ideas on the distinct aetiologies infant and childhood leukaemias, have had a major impact on understanding their natural history and pathogenesis. |