British Society for Developmental Biology


The British Society for Developmental Biology is a scientific society promoting developmental biology research; it is open to anyone with an interest in the subject who agrees with the principles of the Society.

History

The British Society for Developmental Biology was founded in 1948 as the London Embryologists’
Club. In 1964, the club was expanded into a scientific society, named the Society for Developmental Biology. In 1964, the Society for the Study of Growth and Development in the United States had also voted to take on the same name, and they took over sponsorship of the journal Developmental Biology in 1966. Consequently, the smaller British society changed to its current name in 1969.

Awards

Further information: Cheryll Tickle Medal
The society administers four annual awards and a studentship. The Waddington Medal was first awarded in 1998. It is named after Conrad Waddington, a leading British embryologist and genetics, and is awarded to "an outstanding individual who has made major contributions to any aspect of Developmental Biology in the UK".
In 2016, the society added the Cheryll Tickle Medal, which is awarded to a mid-career female scientist. It is named after the embryologist Cheryll Tickle, the first winner of the Waddington Medal.
The society also has awards for early career scientists: The Beddington Medal is awarded annually for the "best PhD thesis in developmental biology" defended in the year prior to the award; the Dennis Summerbell Lecture is an award that is delivered annually by a junior researcher at either PhD or postdoctoral level; and summer studentships are available for undergraduate students.