Veronica Buckle was a Group Leader at the Institute from 1989 to 2020. She started her scientific life as a cytogeneticist and, from this, developed her interests in broader aspects of microscopy and its application to biology. In 1987, Veronica joined the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit and contributed to many different projects in molecular medicine. In particular, she collaborated with the Higgs group on using the globin gene cluster as a model for understanding how genome structure is related to gene regulation. Veronica was also a key driving force in setting up the Wolfson Imaging Centre, which is central to research in the MRC WIMM today.
Working with clay has been a hobby of Veronica’s for many years now. She chose to make a cell sculpture for the Institute as it represents a unifying symbol for all the different work carried out by the researchers.
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The Cell sculpture was made out of clay using a technique called Raku, which gives the surface of the sculpture its smoky appearance.
Speaking about her sculpture, Veronica said:
I loved my time and my work in the WIMM, and I also loved making this for you all. I hope it will give you a smile as you go about your daily doings.
The sculpture is on display near the entrance of the building, between the reception and the coffee lounge.
More of Veronica’s work can be seen here: https://www.veronicadudleyceramics.com/