Policy

Systems biology

Summary| Working Group Membership| Terms of Reference| Review Group Membership| Project Downloads

Systems biology is a rapidly advancing field of inquiry that applies the concepts of systems engineering and mathematical modelling to improve understanding of complex biological/medical systems.

In 2005 the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering identified it as an area of scientific and national priority and set up a joint working group to investigate.

In February 2007 two Academies published the report of the working group that highlights Systems Biology as a groundbreaking new approach to scientific research and calls for more support for research at the intersection of engineering and biology to ensure the UK remains competitive.

back to top

Sir Colin Dollery FMedSci (Joint-Chair)
Treasurer
Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Richard Kitney FREng (Joint-Chair)
Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering
Imperial College London

Professor Richard Challis FREng
Head, School of Electric and Electronic Engineering
University of Nottingham

Professor David Delpy FRS FREng FMedSci
Vice-Provost (Research; Business; Industry and the Community; Sciences)
University College London

Professor David Edwards FMedSci
Weston Professor of Neonatal Medicine and Head of the Division of Paediatrics
Imperial College London

Dr Adriano Henney
Director, Global Sciences and Information
AstraZeneca

Professor Tom Kirkwood FMedSci
Co-Director, Institute for Ageing Research
University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Professor Denis Noble CBE FRS FMedSci
Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology
University of Oxford

Professor Malcolm Rowland FMedSci
Research Professor
University of Manchester

Professor Lionel Tarassenko FREng
Professor of Electrical Engineering
University of Oxford

Professor David Williams FREng
Director, UK Centre for Tissue Engineering
University of Liverpool

Secretariat

Laurie Smith
Senior Officer, Medical Science Policy
Academy of Medical Sciences

Dr Loredana Santoro
Policy Advisor
Royal Academy of Engineering

back to top

To provide a succinct, high-quality, review of the existing activity and capacity within the UK, highlighting positive and negative differences in the UK systems biology research capability through comparison with other countries.

To consider the role of biomedical science and engineering in the context of systems biology and how the interface between the two disciplines, and others, should be developed to maximise opportunities.

To consider potential current and future developments in systems biology and its likely impact.

To identify key policy issues relating to systems biology and potential opportunities for systems biology to contribute to the health and wealth of the nation.

To produce an authoritative report, accessible to both the specialist and lay reader.

To advise Government, industry, academia and other stakeholders of the findings of the report and, where appropriate, recommend action.

To determine the characteristics 'systems biology' reserch exhibits to provide a working definition of the term.

back to top

Professor Lewis Wolpert CBE FRS FMedSci (Chairman)
Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine
University College London

Sir Michael Brady FRS FREng
Professor of Information Engineering
University of Oxford

Professor Forbes Dewey
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Professor Rodney Smallwood FREng
Professor of Computational Systems Biology
University of Sheffield

Professor Douglas Young FMedSci
Fleming Professor of Medical Microbiology
Imperial College London

Professor Hans Westerhoff
Professor of Systems Biology
University of Manchester

back to top

• Systems Biology report [1.03mb]

back to top