Bill Denny (medical researcher)
{{Short description|New Zealand chemist and medical researcher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Sir Bill Denny
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|size=100%}}
| image = Bill Denny KNZM (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Denny in 2022
| birth_name = William Alexander Denny
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|08|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Malvern, Worcestershire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| fields = Medicinal chemistry
| workplaces = University of Auckland
| alma_mater = University of Auckland
| thesis_title = Synthetic studies utilizing podocarpic acid
| thesis_url = https://catalogue.library.auckland.ac.nz/permalink/f/gkavgk/uoa_alma21159795790002091
| thesis_year = 1969
| doctoral_advisor = Con Cambie{{Cite thesis |title=Synthetic studies utilizing podocarpic acid |url=https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/handle/2292/2411 |publisher=ResearchSpace@Auckland |date=1969 |degree=Doctoral |language=en |first=William A. (William Alexander) |last=Denny}}
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for =
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards = Rutherford Medal (1995)
| spouse =
| children =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/b-denny|University of Auckland profile}}
}}
Sir William Alexander Denny {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|size=85%}} (born 5 August 1943) is a New Zealand medicinal chemist, noted for his work investigating drugs for the treatment of cancer.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125350133/queens-birthday-honours-cancer-drug-researcher-knighted |title=Queen's Birthday honours: cancer drug researcher knighted |first=Lucy |last=Xia |date=7 June 2021 |work=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=7 June 2021}}
Early life and education
Denny was born in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, on 5 August 1943.{{cite book |title=Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6x8OAQAAMAAJ |last1=Lambert |first1=Max |year=1991 |edition=12th |publisher=Octopus |location=Auckland|isbn = 9780790001302 | page=159}} His parents were Norah May ({{nee|Vine}}) and Alexander William Denny. The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1946. He received his education at Patumahoe Primary School and Te Awamutu College where he was dux in 1961.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame – Prof. Bill Denny |url=https://www.tac.school.nz/hall-fame-prof-bill-denny |website=Te Awamutu College |access-date=17 June 2021 |format=Te Awamutu College Hall of Fame}} At the University of Auckland, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in 1966, a Master of Science in 1967, a Doctor of Philosophy in 1969,{{cite thesis |last=Denny |first=William |year=1969 |type=Doctoral thesis |title=Synthetic studies utilizing podocarpic acid |publisher=ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland |hdl=2292/2411 |url=https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/handle/2292/2411}} and a Doctor of Science in 1986.{{cite web |title=William A. Denny, PhD, DSc |url=https://www.acsmedchem.org/?nd=denny |website=acmedchem.org |publisher=Division of Medicinal Chemistry |access-date=17 June 2021}} He had an ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford University from 1969 to 1972.
Career
From 1972 to 1979, he was a senior research fellow at the Auckland Cancer Research Laboratory. He was visiting professor at the University of California in San Diego from 1979 to 1981. He then returned to the Cancer Research Laboratory and from 1988, was their director. In 2011 Denny was made a Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland.{{cite web |title=Professor Bill Denny |url=https://www.mauricewilkinscentre.org/about-us/our-people/principal-investigators-management/professor-bill-denny/ |website=Maurice Wilkinson Centre |access-date=17 June 2021}}
Honours and awards
Denny won a Union for International Cancer Control International Travel Fellowship in 1984. In 1986, he won the ICI New Zealand prize for excellence in research.
Denny was elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry in 1981 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1988.{{cite web |url=https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/who-we-are/our-people/our-fellows/all-fellows/d-f/ |title=List of all Fellows with surnames D–F |publisher=Royal Society Te Apārangi |access-date=7 June 2021}} In 1995, he was awarded the society's Rutherford Medal, alongside the Auckland Cancer Research Laboratory, for innovation in the development of new anti-cancer drugs.{{cite web |url=https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/rutherford-medal/recipients/ |title=Rutherford Medal recipients |publisher=Royal Society Te Apārangi |access-date=7 June 2021}}
In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours, Denny was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to cancer research.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2003 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2003 |date=2 June 2003 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=7 June 2021}} He was promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to medical research, in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2021 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2021 |date=7 June 2021 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=7 June 2021}}
Denny was inducted into the American Chemical Society Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in 2016.{{cite web |title=Bill Denny inducted into Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame |url=https://www.mauricewilkinscentre.org/news/bill-denny-inducted-into-medicinal-chemistry-hall-of-fame/ |date=29 August 2016 |website=Maurice Wilkins Centre |access-date=17 June 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Recipients of the Rutherford Medal}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denny, Bill}}
Category:People from Malvern, Worcestershire
Category:New Zealand medical researchers
Category:Academic staff of the University of Auckland
Category:Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:University of Auckland alumni
Category:English emigrants to New Zealand
Category:Fellows of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand