̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - People

Into the underworld: the mountains beneath our feet

lkm37 — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:41:16 +0000

Sanne Cottaar is Professor of Global Seismology in Earth Sciences. She wants to understand Earth’s inner structure: how it shaped the surface and allowed life to form.

Making an impact: Gates Cambridge turns 25

cjb250 — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 09:42:36 +0000

What unites a wildlife cameraman, a quantum physicist and the co-founder of a solar energy business? For Gates Cambridge Scholars, it's the desire to improve the lives of others.

̽��ֱ��lab making food healthier and medicine cheaper

lkm37 — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:05:48 +0000

Dr Nicola Patron is cultivating a new kind of biotechnology, where we can read nature’s blueprints and direct its energy to more potent ends.

Professor Duncan Richards appointed as Head of Department of Medicine

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:59:07 +0000

Professor Richards joins Cambridge from the ̽��ֱ�� of Oxford, where he has been since 2019. His particular research interest is the demonstration of clinical proof of concept of novel therapeutics through the application of experimental medicine techniques, especially human challenge studies.

As Climax Professor of Clinical Therapeutics, director of the Oxford Clinical Trial Research Unit (OCTRU), and the NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility, he led a broad portfolio focused on new medicines for multiple conditions. His focus has been the acceleration of promising new drug treatments through better decision-making in early phase clinical trials.

Professor Richards also brings with him a wealth of experience in a number of Pharmaceutical R&D clinical development roles. In 2003 he joined GSK and held a number of roles of increasing responsibility, latterly as Head of Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Medicine, including directorship of GSK’s phase 1 and experimental medicine unit in Cambridge (CUC).

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Richards said: “As a clinical pharmacologist, I have been fortunate to work across a broad range of therapeutic areas over the years. I am excited by the breadth and depth of expertise within the Department of Medicine and look forward to working with the first-class scientific team. My goal is to work with the Department team, the Clinical School, and hospitals to maximise the impact of the important work taking place in Cambridge.”

Members of the department’s leadership team are looking forward to the continued development of the department under Professor Richards, building on its legacy of collaboration and groundbreaking translational research to drive our future success.

Professor Mark Wills, Interim Head of Department of Medicine, said: “Duncan brings to his new role a fantastic breadth of experience, which encompasses his clinical speciality in pharmacology, extensive experience of working within the pharmaceutical industry R&D at senior levels and most recently establishing academic clinical trials units and human challenge research facilities.

“I am very excited to welcome Duncan to the Department and looking forward to working with him, as he takes on the role of delivering of the Department of Medicine’s vision to increase the efficacy of translation of its world class fundamental research, and its impact upon clinical practice and patient wellbeing.”

Menna Clatworthy, Professor of Translational Immunology and Director of the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), said: "Duncan has a wealth of leadership experience in biomedicine, in both academia and pharma. That skillset will be invaluable in ensuring the Department of Medicine continues to deliver world-leading research to transform patient outcomes."

Charlotte Summers, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine and Director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute, said: “Duncan’s exemplary track record of translating fundamental scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit patients will help us further increase the impact of our research as we continue our mission to improve human health.”

̽��ֱ��appointment underpins the recently announced five-year collaboration between GSK and the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, the Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration (CG-TIC). ̽��ֱ��£50 million investment will accelerate research and development in kidney and respiratory diseases to improve patient outcomes.

Professor Richards will assume the role in February 2025, replacing Interim Head of Department Dr Mark Wills who was appointed after the departure of Professor Ken Smith in January 2024. Dr Wills will continue as Director of Research and Deputy Head of the Department of Medicine as well as leading his research group.

Professor Richards trained in medicine at Oxford ̽��ֱ�� and after junior doctor roles in London, he returned to Oxford as Clinical Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology. His DM thesis research was on a translational model using platelet ion flux to interrogate angiotensin biology and he is author of the Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy and the 3rd edition of Drug Discovery and Development.

Professor Richards has been a core member of the UK COVID-19 Therapeutics Advisory Panel. He is a member of the Oxford Bioescalator Management Board, UK Prix Galien Prize Committee, and the therapeutic advisory committee of several national platform clinical trials.

Professor Duncan Richards has today been announced as the new Head of the Department of Medicine at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge.

I am excited by the breadth and depth of expertise within the Department of Medicine and look forward to working with the first-class scientific team

Duncan Richards

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Professor David Rowitch elected to US National Academy of Medicine

cjb250 — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:30:33 +0000

Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine and recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

“It is a great honour to have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine,” said Professor Rowitch.

Professor Rowitch obtained his PhD from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. His research in the field of developmental neurobiology has focused on glial cells that comprise the ‘white matter’ of the human brain. It has furthered understanding human neonatal brain development as well as white matter injury in premature infants, multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophy. Amongst numerous awards, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2018 and Fellow of the Royal Society in 2021.

Professor Rowitch’s current interest focuses on functional genomic technologies to better diagnose and treat rare neurogenetic disorders in children. He is academic lead for the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital, developing integrated paediatric physical-mental healthcare and research within the NHS and ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge.

NAM President Victor J. Dzau said: “This class of new members represents the most exceptional researchers and leaders in health and medicine, who have made significant breakthroughs, led the response to major public health challenges, and advanced health equity.

“Their expertise will be necessary to supporting NAM’s work to address the pressing health and scientific challenges we face today. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”

Professor Rowitch is one of 90 regular members and 10 international members announced during the Academy’s annual meeting. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognises individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.

Professor David Rowitch, Head of the Department of Paediatrics at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine in the USA.

Professor David Rowitch

Yes

Simon Baron-Cohen wins MRC Millennium Medal for transformative research into autism and neurodiversity

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:00:07 +0000

Sir Simon Baron-Cohen is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College. He is Director of the Autism Research Centre, which he set up in 1997. He has published over 750 peer reviewed scientific articles and has made contributions to many aspects of autism research. In 2021, he received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list for his services to autism.

One of his earliest MRC grants, in 1996, was to investigate if autism could be diagnosed in babies as young as 18 months old, and his team showed that it can. Ideally, an early diagnosis should lead to the right support, so that a child has the best opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Baron-Cohen has drawn attention to the reality that a lot of autistic people do not receive their diagnosis in early childhood. In fact, many are not diagnosed until late childhood, or even adulthood. This means they are left unsupported and feeling different, but with no explanation. As a result, autistic people can end up feeling like they do not fit in, and may experience exclusion or bullying by their peer group. They can feel ashamed when they’re not coping in a mainstream classroom.

He argues that the reason they are struggling is because the mainstream educational setting was designed for non-autistic people. This can lead to a gradual deterioration in their mental health. Many underachieve academically and only 15% of autistic adults are employed. Most worryingly, one in four autistic adults have planned or attempted suicide. He said “Autistic people are being failed by our society”.

In 2017 Baron-Cohen was invited by the United Nations to give a keynote lecture on Autism Acceptance Day. He described how autistic people are excluded from many basic human rights. These include the right to education, the right to health services, the right to dignity, and the right to employment.

In an effort to change this, Baron-Cohen created a charity called the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) at Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��charity is science-led and aims to put the science into the hands of policymakers, so there’s no delay in translating policy-relevant findings.

Alongside his applied research, Baron-Cohen’s team also conducts basic research. Autism starts prenatally and is partly but not completely genetic. For decades it was unclear what other factors might contribute to the cause of autism. Over the past 20 years Baron-Cohen made two big discoveries which have helped understand what causes autism. First, his team found elevated levels of prenatal androgens (sex hormones such as testosterone) in pregnancies that later resulted in autism. Second, they found that prenatal oestrogens (another group of sex hormones which are synthesised from androgens) levels were also elevated in pregnancies resulting in autism.

Autism is an example of neurodiversity. Autistic individuals’ brains develop differently, from before birth. Some of these differences result in disability, for example, in social skills and communication. But others result in strengths or talents. For example, many autistic people have excellent memory for facts and excellent attention to detail. And many are strongly attracted to patterns. Baron-Cohen’s recent book ̽��ֱ��Pattern Seekers celebrates autistic people’s different minds. In many environments, such skills are assets. In his research group, he employs neurodivergent individuals.

Baron-Cohen will receive the prestigious medal, specially created by ̽��ֱ��Royal Mint, and will be listed amongst the most highly influential and impactful researchers in the UK. He will deliver a lecture about his research, and his achievements will be celebrated at an Awards Ceremony on 20 June 2024 in the Law Society where he will receive the medal.

On receiving the news that he was to be awarded the MRC Millennium Medal, Baron-Cohen said: “This is the result of team work and I am fortunate to be surrounded by a talented team of scientists. I hope this Medal shines a light on how autistic people need a lot more support, from the earliest point, to lead fulfilling lives.”

̽��ֱ��UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC) in the UK will today present the MRC Millennium Medal 2023 to Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, in recognition of his pioneering MRC-funded research into the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism, his establishment of the Autism Research Centre at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, and his work in the public understanding of neurodiversity.

I hope this Medal shines a light on how autistic people need a lot more support, from the earliest point, to lead fulfilling lives

Simon Baron-Cohen

Brian Harris

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen

Yes

Cambridge experts awarded 2024 Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowships

cjb250 — Mon, 20 May 2024 23:01:02 +0000

Professor Nita Forouhi from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit and Professor Susan Gathercole from the Department of Psychiatry and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers who have been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing biomedical and health sciences, ground-breaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society.

Professor Nita Forouhi is a clinical scientist whose research is focused on the link between diet, nutrition and the risk of diabetes, obesity and related disorders. She is Professor of Population Health and Nutrition and leads the Nutritional Epidemiology programme, which was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Best Impact Award in 2016. She frequently engages with the media to promote knowledge in the area of diet and health.

Professor Susan Gathercole is a cognitive psychologist with interests in memory and learning, including the causes of specific learning difficulties in children and how they might be overcome. Susan became a Fellow of the British Academy in 2014 and was awarded an OBE for services to psychology and education in 2016.

Professor Andrew Morris PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is an honour to welcome these brilliant minds to our Fellowship. Our new Fellows lead pioneering work in biomedical research and are driving remarkable improvements in healthcare. We look forward to working with them, and learning from them, in our quest to foster an open and progressive research environment that improves the health of people everywhere through excellence in medical science.

“It is also welcoming to note that this year's cohort is our most diverse yet, in terms of gender, ethnicity and geography. While this progress is encouraging, we recognise that there is still much work to be done to truly diversify our Fellowship. We remain committed to our EDI goals and will continue to take meaningful steps to ensure our Fellowship reflects the rich diversity of the society we serve."

̽��ֱ��new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Wednesday 18 September 2024.

Two Cambridge Fellows are among the new Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows announced today.

Academy of Medical Sciences

Academy of Medical Sciences logo

Yes

̽��ֱ��curator reframing our experiences of art

cg605 — Fri, 17 May 2024 16:09:13 +0000

“Art doesn’t need to be in an elaborate frame on the wall of a gallery,” says Harriet Loffler, curator of ̽��ֱ��Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards College. “In fact,” she says, “art in ordinary spaces can change the way we see the world.”