Congratulations to Prof. Bruce Ponder on being awarded a Knighthood in the New Year's Honours.

Sir Bruce has been honoured for his services to medicine, especially in recognition of his substantial contribution to international efforts to identify the genes responsible for inherited predisposition to several cancers.

His recent research, in collaboration with Doug Easton and Paul Pharoah at the Strangeways Laboratories, resulted in the publication of the first whole genome association study for breast cancer, in June 2007. This research identified four genes that are positively correlated with an increased risk of breast cancer, a discovery that opens up new avenues of research into the causes of the disease.

Pictured on right: Sir Bruce and CRI members celebrating his award at a party on Friday 4 January.