2009 Marshall Medallist - Professor Twink Allen

Twink Allen graduated from Sydney Veterinary School in 1965 and completed a PhD degree under the supervision of Professor Roger Short FRS at Cambridge Veterinary School in 1970. He then founded, and remained until its closure in December 2007, Scientific Director of The Equine Fertility Unit a small, specialised veterinary research group based initially at The Animal Research Station in Cambridge and, after 1988, at purpose-built premises at Mertoun Paddocks in Newmarket. He was elected to the Jim Joel Professorship of Equine Reproduction and awarded an ScD degree by Cambridge University in 1995, elected to a Professorial Fellowship of Robinson College in 1996, achieved Diplomate and Fellowship status in The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1986 and 2004 respectively, was made a Fellow of The Institute of Biology and created CBE in 2002. He has honaris causa doctorate degrees from the Universities of Krakow, Gent and Helsinki. Since his retirement from the Cambridge chair in December, 2007 he has become Scientific Director of the newlyfounded Paul Mellon Laboratory of Equine Reproduction in Cheveley Park, Newmarket where he is completing and writing up the results of the last 2-3 years experimental work of The Equine Fertility Unit and undertaking new research using archived EFU samples.