Prof Michael Stratton and Three Others Knighted for Services in Health Sector

Prof Michael Stratton, the scientist who made identification of the genes causing breast cancer, was awarded prestigious knighthood in the Queen Elizabeth II Birthday Honours. The research conducted by the Prof Michael Stratton on Cancer Genome Project at the Sanger Institute helped considerably in diagnosis as well as treatment of cancer.

Apart from Michael Stratton, three more knighthoods were awarded in healthcare sector. These included Professor Andrew Hall for services to public health, Professor Peng Tee Khaw for research in glaucoma as well as Stephen O'Rahilly for research on the causes of human obesity.

About Michael Stratton

• Michael Stratton is the Director of Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire.
• He was the founder of Cancer Genome Project, which was directed towards hunt for the genes which cause different kinds of cancers.
• The breast cancer gene called BRCA2 was identified by him as well as his team in 1994.

About the Knighthood honour

Knight, in general, is the person who is granted the honourary title of knighthood by political leader or a monarch. In early days, Knighthood was conferred on the mounted warriors in Europe. However, since Early Modern period, this title is considered as absolutely honorific.