Dame Nancy Rothwell – Alumni

A former pupil of Penwortham Girls’ School, Nancy Rothwell obtained a first class degree in Physiology in 1976 from the University of London, a PhD in 1978 from Queen Elizabeth College in London and was awarded a DSc in 1987 from King’s College in London. In 1984, she was awarded a Royal Society Research Fellowship and relocated to Manchester University in 1987. Nancy was awarded a Chair in physiology in 1994, then a prestigious Medical Research Council Research Chair in 1998. In 1998, she also delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, televised by the BBC.

She has conducted intensive research on the role of inflammation in brain disease and has served as president of the British Neuroscience Association, a council member of MRC, BBSRC and Cancer Research UK.

Nancy has received many awards and honours because of her outstanding work in Science and education. In 2003, she was awarded the Pfizer award by the Royal Society, was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society in 2004 and made a Dame of the British Empire in 2005. The school has also honoured Nancy by awarding each year, the Dame Nancy Rothwell Biology award for achievement in GCSE biology.

In 2010, Nancy was appointed President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester and was later appointed as chair of the Russell Group in 2020.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the University of Manchester, a series of portraits of Nancy were commissioned and one is exhibited in the Whitworth Art Gallery.

After many years of hard work and commitment, Nancy has now retired from her position as Vice Chancellor and has taken a step back from her research interests. Nancy will continue her association with the University of Manchester as an Emeritus Professor and will continue to play an ambassadorial role in relation to fundraising and external relations. To mark her retirement, the Manchester Engineering Campus development has been renamed as the Nancy Rothwell Building.

Mrs Goodwill recently attended a lab reunion to mark the occasion of Nancy’s retirement, having worked for Nancy in the late 1990s as a technician.

Nancy is an inspirational woman who has shown that curiosity, resilience and an ambition for learning can lead to incredible achievements. 

Mrs Honeyman

Associate Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader for Science

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  • Artsmark Platinum Award - Awards by Arts Council England
  • Lancashire Socio-economic Equality Badge
  • SMART
  • UNICEF
  • School Mental Health Award
  • Ofsted - Outstanding Provider
  • International School Award