Martin Evans

Sir Martin John Evans FRS (born 1 January 1941) is a British scientist, credited with discovering how to culture embryonic stem cells in 1981, and for his work in the development of the knockout mouse and the related technology of gene targeting. In 2007, he was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in recognition of his gene targeting work. Evans was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England on 1 January 1941. His mother was a ... more

Sir Martin John Evans FRS (born 1 January 1941) is a British scientist, credited with discovering how to culture embryonic stem cells in 1981, and for his work in the development of the knockout mouse and the related technology of gene targeting. In 2007, he was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in recognition of his gene targeting work. Evans was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England on 1 January 1941. His mother was a teacher. His father maintained a mechanical workshop and taught Evans to use the tools and machines there, including a lathe. Evans was close to his grandfather who was a choir master at a Baptist Church for over 40 years, and whose main interests were music, poetry and the Baptist Church. His mother's brother was a professor of astronomy at the University of Cambridge. As a boy Evans was quiet, shy and inquisitive. He liked science and his parents encouraged his education. He was brought up in Orpington and he went to St Dunstan's College, an... less