Professor Dame Kay Davies

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the scientist Professor Kay Davies. She has dedicated much of her life to finding a cure for the severest form of muscular dystrophy. Before she was 40, she had helped to develop the antenatal test which is now used around the world, then she isolated the gene sequence which could be instrumental in treating the condition. After years spent working on that, human trials for a possible treatment are about to begin.

It's quite something for a woman who doesn't have an O-level in biology. Although, even as a child she did possess that critical quality crucial to scientific pioneers: "I loved solving problems," she says, "I was very tenacious and would sit in my room until I had finished the problem. I am a sticker."

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Choices

1.

Castaway's favourite

Franz Schubert

Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D960

Soloist: Alfred Brendel

Others who chose this artist

2.

Aled Jones

Yr Ehedydd (The Skylark)

Others who chose this artist

3.

The Beatles

Let It Be

Others who chose this artist

4.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Dove sono (from The Marriage of Figaro)

Soloist: Soile Isokoski, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Peter Schreier, Marita Viitasalo

Others who chose this artist

5.

The Immposters

Everybody Be There

6.

Eric Clapton

Tears in Heaven

Others who chose this artist

7.

10cc

The Wall Street Shuffle

Others who chose this artist

8.

Giuseppe Verdi

La donna è mobile (from Rigoletto)

Soloist: Luciano Pavarotti

Others who chose this artist

Book

Untold Stories by Alan Bennett

Others who chose this author

Luxury item

A piano

Others who chose a similar luxury