But she also left a mark on science, public health and education. She donated to medical centres, vaccine research, and disaster relief, and had one of the most famous animals in science named after her: Dolly, the cloned sheep. 'Dolly provided the soundtrack for my PhD, and is gratefully acknowledged in my thesis as a key contributor! She was the very best of us: we should all strive to be more like Dolly (rhinestones and all)', Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, told Nature by e-mail. 'Today is a sad day as we mourn an exceptional artist, a true champion of kindness, and ambassador of science and public health,' wrote Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, on the social media platform X. Others reflected on the way Parton wielded her fame for good. 'Few celebrities use their influence to support science so meaningfully,' wrote Gaurav Kansagara, a cell biologist at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine in...
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