History
In 1960 Paul Polani, the first Prince Philip Professor, founded the Paediatric Research Unit, dedicated to the study and prevention of developmental disorders, and the forerunner of today's Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, with the aid of a generous endowment by the Spastics Society (now Scope).
The PRU (as we were then known) was established to undertake developmental biology research relating to the origin of childhood handicaps, especially those affecting the nervous system (including cerebral palsy), and to translate research findings "from laboratory bench to bedside" as quickly as possible.
An old warehouse between the (then) dental school and the back of Keats House was stripped and refitted to accommodate four sub-departments and a library, renamed Cameron House. There was an overflow into Keats House, which provided an office and an outpatient clinic.
In 1965 looking to the application of its research findings the first genetic advice clinic in South-East England was established with NSS funds. Subsequently, the service work of the Unit expanded and by 1971 the NHS started supporting some of the diagnostic work, and by 1976 when the South East Thames Regional Genetics Centre was established within the PRU the service was fully supported by the NHS as was and the Supra Regional (National) Laboratory for Genetic Enzyme Defects established in 1973.
The expansion of the Unit was made possible when in 1975 the Unit was moved to the new modern Guy’s Tower occupying the 7th & 8th floors, an area of well over 36, 000 sq ft, conveniently close to the children’s and maternity wards. A move intended from the inception of the unit.
At the same time the Unit’s needs had outstripped the level of base support that the NSS could afford and the registered charity ‘The Generation Trust’ was set up under the Chairmanship of Philip Harris (later Lord Harris of Peckham) to support the unit’s work. The unit was quick to take advantage of the new discoveries within the field, establishing new facilities and creating new sections.
Professor Martin Bobrow took over as Director of the Unit in 1982 on Professor Polani’s retirement and Professor Ellen Solomon succeeded him in 1995. The unit continued to grow, expanding onto one half the 5th floor of Guy’s Tower, with Cytogenetics moving into purpose build Laboratories in the mid-1990’s while their old Laboratories were refurbished for Professor Solomon’s incoming research group.
Changes in Regional boundaries by the Government meant a loss of the ‘Regional’ title and a change of name to Guy’s & St Thomas’ Genetics Centre, but didn’t alter the workload and the Centre continued to grow. It eventually outgrew its space and moved out of the Tower and onto the new vacated 7th floor of New Guy’s House (now Borough Wing).
A complete refurbishment of the 7th floor of the Tower and substantial refurbishment of the 8th and other half of the 5th (now vacated), funded by the Wellcome Trust JIF/SRIF scheme, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity and King’s College London was completed in 2005. The Henry Wellcome Labs for Medical & Molecular Genetics were opened on 10th November 2005.
Although the emphasis of its research has shifted from finding genes associated with disorders with relatively simple genetic causes to studying more complex disease genetics, the central aim of using research finding to develop possible therapeutic interventions is still central to the department’s research philosophy. Professor Solomon stood down at the end of 2008 and Professor Richard Trembath took over at the start of 2009.
Find out more about the history of the Division of Genetics & Molecular Medicine's.