Frances Mary Platt (née Judson) FMedSci FRS MAE is a biologist whose research has focused on biochemistry and pharmacology[1] Her research investigates rare genetic disorders known as lysosomal storage diseases, which are progressive conditions that typically lead to neurodegeneration.
Since childhood she has had a strong interest in science and the natural world and took a degree in zoology at Imperial College London.
In 1986, Platt moved to the US as a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University School of Medicine, where she investigated cell surface molecules on B cells in germinal centres[4][5].In 1987 the head of the research team, Joseph Davie MD PhD moved to the pharmaceutical arm of Monsanto (GD Searle), where Platt learnt about industrial research and started working on antiviral drugs.
In 1989 she moved back to the UK as a Senior Research Fellow in the Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry in the University of Oxford.
In 1996 Platt was the recipient of a five-year Lister Institute Senior Research Fellowship.