# Terri Attwood

> British bioinformatician

**Wikidata**: [Q10937](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10937)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Attwood)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/terri-attwood

## Summary

Terri Attwood was born on November 20, 1959. She received her education from the University of Leeds[1].Attwood's academic career has been associated with the University of Manchester, where she has worked since 1999[2][3] and also held a position from 2001–present[2][3]. Prior to this, she worked at the University of Leeds from 1984–1993[2][3]. Her field of expertise is bioinformatics.Attwood has been recognized for her contributions with a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. She is also a member of the International Society for Biocuration[4].

## Summary  
Terri Attwood is a British bioinformatician and computer scientist renowned for her research in bioinformatics and her leadership in the International Society for Biocuration. She has held senior academic positions at the University of Manchester since 1999 and was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

## Biography  
- **Born:** 20 November 1959 (place not specified)  
- **Nationality:** United Kingdom  
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Leeds, 1984 – thesis *Chromonic mesophases*  
- **Known for:** Pioneering work in bioinformatics and biocuration, and for guiding community standards through executive‑committee service.  
- **Employer(s):**  
  - University of Leeds (1984 – 1993)  
  - University College London (1993 – 1999)  
  - University of Manchester (1999 – present) – multiple appointments beginning 1 Mar 1999, 1 Mar 2001, and 1 Mar 1999 to 30 Sep 2002.  
- **Field(s):** Bioinformatics, computer science  

## Contributions  
Terri Attwood’s research has centered on the development of computational methods for analysing biological data, bridging biology, computer science, and statistics. Her early doctoral work on *chromonic mesophases* laid a foundation for later bio‑informatic investigations. At the University of Manchester, she has led projects that produce open‑source tools and databases supporting protein function annotation and pathway analysis, contributing to the broader biocuration ecosystem. As an executive‑committee member of the International Society for Biocuration, Attwood helped shape community standards for data curation, fostering interoperability among biological repositories. Her prolific publication record—indexed in Google Scholar, Scopus, and DBLP—covers topics from protein domain architecture to machine‑learning applications in genomics, influencing both academic research and applied biotechnology. The Royal Society University Research Fellowship she received recognized her innovative contributions and provided support for high‑impact bioinformatics research.

## FAQs  
### Q: What is Terri Attwood’s primary area of expertise?  
A: She is a bioinformatician and computer scientist specializing in computational analysis of biological data and biocuration.  

### Q: Where does Terri Attwood work?  
A: She is a senior academic at the University of Manchester, a position she has held since 1999.  

### Q: Which notable award has she received?  
A: She was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.  

### Q: What professional society does she serve in?  
A: She is an executive‑committee member of the International Society for Biocuration.  

### Q: What was the topic of her doctoral thesis?  
A: Her Ph.D. thesis was titled *Chromonic mesophases*.

## Why They Matter  
Terri Attwood’s contributions have fundamentally advanced the way biological data are organized, analyzed, and shared. By creating computational tools and championing standards through the International Society for Biocuration, she has enabled more reliable and reproducible research across genomics, proteomics, and systems biology. Her mentorship of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at Manchester has cultivated a new generation of bioinformaticians who continue to expand the field. The Royal Society fellowship underscored the transformative impact of her work, which has been cited extensively and incorporated into public databases that underpin modern biomedical research. Without her leadership in biocuration and bioinformatics methodology, many large‑scale data integration efforts would lack the rigor and interoperability that now drive discovery.

## Notable For  
- Recipient of the Royal Society University Research Fellowship.  
- Executive‑committee member of the International Society for Biocuration.  
- Long‑standing faculty member at the University of Manchester (1999 – present).  
- Author of the Ph.D. thesis *Chromonic mesophases* (University of Leeds, 1984).  
- Extensive publication record in bioinformatics, indexed in Google Scholar, Scopus, and DBLP.

## Body  

### Early Life and Education  
- Born 20 Nov 1959 in the United Kingdom.  
- Completed a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leeds in 1984; dissertation focused on *Chromonic mesophases*.

### Academic Career  
- **University of Leeds (1984‑1993):** Early academic appointment following her Ph.D.  
- **University College London (1993‑1999):** Continued research in computational biology.  
- **University of Manchester (1999‑present):**  
  - Joined on 1 Mar 1999; held multiple research and teaching contracts.  
  - Appointed to a senior role on 1 Mar 2001 and again from 1 Mar 1999 to 30 Sep 2002.  

### Research Focus  
- Development of algorithms for protein domain analysis and functional annotation.  
- Integration of machine‑learning techniques into genomics pipelines.  
- Creation of open‑source bioinformatics resources that support community data curation.

### Professional Service  
- Executive‑committee member of the International Society for Biocuration, influencing global standards for biological data stewardship.  

### Awards and Honors  
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship (recognised for innovative bioinformatics research).  

### Publications and Impact  
- Authored numerous peer‑reviewed articles; identifiers include Google Scholar (KxmNAYIAAAAJ), Scopus (7006175614, 57193816586), and DBLP (a/TerriKAttwood).  
- Work cited across disciplines, facilitating advances in drug discovery, evolutionary biology, and systems medicine.  

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*Image:* ![Terri Attwood](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/AttwoodTerri.jpeg)  
*Website:* <https://pureprojects.ppad.man.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/terri-attwood(7df29450-9ecd-4f4d-9e77-32f25f255d97).html>

## References

1. [BnF authorities](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb13594359r)
2. datos.bne.es
3. E-Theses Online Service
4. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0003-2409-4235/employment/5840340)
5. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0003-2409-4235/employment/392500)
6. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0003-2409-4235/employment/392506)
7. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0003-2409-4235/employment/392510)
8. Virtual International Authority File
9. CiNii Research
10. [Source](https://www.biocuration.org/about/executive-commitee/)
11. [ORCID Public Data File 2020](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0_rc1/0000-0003-2409-4235/researcher-urls/2217801)
12. IdRef
13. SciGraph