News
2017
AJR interviewed on BBC South Today
Broadcast on 13th January, Professor Angela Russell was interviewed for regional news programme BBC South Today. Co-founded by Prof. Steve Davies and Prof. Angela Russell, Oxford spin-out OxStem Ltd was highlighted as a major success story for Oxford University Innovation (“OUI”), the University of Oxford’s technology transfer office. OUI celebrated a record-breaking year in 2016 facilitating 24 spin-out companies representing £52.6m of investment; five of the 24 new spin-outs were OxStem companies, amounting to £16.9m of the total investment into the University.
Congratulations Dr Caitlin Clunie-O'Connor
Well done to Caitlin who successfully passed her DPhil on 12th January.
Welcome to new members of the team
We are very pleased to welcome Morgan Jay-Smith, Katrina Madden and Tom Carter to the group, all PDRAs funded under OxStem research programmes. We would also like to welcome visiting PhD student Laura Guidotti from the University of Bologna, undertaking a 6-month research project in collaboration with Prof Francis Szele at DPAG.
Welcome Liam Bromhead
A very warm welcome to Liam who joins the group (20th February) who is an OxStem-funded PDRA.
Welcome Enrico Emer
We are very pleased to welcome Enrico Emer to the group (13th February). He is an OxStem-funded PDRA who will be working on the OxStem Cardio research programme.
Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Standing alongside other female researchers from the University, AJR has been featured in a blog to inspire the next generation of women scientists. Read more…
Women in Science blog
Professor Angela Russell is currently featured on Oxford ScienceBlog’s Women in Science series. She was interviewed about her career in science and entrepreneurship as part of International Women in Science Day 2017. Read the full blog.
Welcome to new members of the group
A very warm welcome to Jens Schmidt and Chris Greaves who join the AJR group as PDRAs working on OxStem-funded research programmes.
Women in Science Day
To celebrate Women in Science Day (8th March 2017), AJR will be presenting 'From Chemistry to Stem Cells: My Scientific Journey', in the Library at the Sherington Building, DPAG; 4pm.
Presentation: AJR at SelectBio: Stem Cells in Drug Discovery conference, Cambridge
AJR was invited to speak in Cambridge at the SelectBio: Stem Cells in Drug Discovery conference on Monday 6th March. Her presentation is entitled 'Medicinal Chemistry in Regenerative Medicine: Discovery of in vivo-active Small Molecule Modulators of Endogenous Stem Cells'.
AJR presents her Departmental (Organic Chemistry) Colloquium today
Prof Angela Russell will be speaking today, Thursday 2nd March, 2pm on 'Chemistry for regenerative medicine: Discovery of small molecules to manipulate (stem) cell fate' in the Dyson Perrins building, South Parks Road.
Welcome Irene Georgiou
We are very pleased to welcome Irene Georgiou who has joined the AJR group as an OxStem Cardio-funded PDRA.
OxStem Ltd featured in Nature
OxStem Ltd, a University of Oxford spin-out company co-founded by Professor Steve Davies and Prof. Angela Russell, is featured in the May 2017 issue of Nature in an article entitled “Masters of Medicine”. OxStem was selected as one of six innovative and disruptive University start-up biotechnology companies from around the world to be profiled in the article. Read more…
Team 'Russell's Muscles' complete the Town and Gown Race
Well done to the 'Russell's Muscles' team (Morgan Jay Smith, Aini Vuorinen, Tom Carter, Liam Bromhead, Laura Mola Sola, Dominic Faulkener, Daniel Conole, and friends) who successfully ran the Oxford 10-km road race on Sunday 14th May. The event, held annually, is organised by the Muscular Dystrophy UK charity.
Running the Town and Gown 10km - Russell's Muscles
On Sunday 14th May some members of the AJR group are participating Oxford Town and Gown 10 km run which is organised by, and in aid of, Muscular Dystrophy UK. Please come along to support the team Russell's muscles and Muscular Dystrophy UK. For more information please follow the link http://www.townandgown10k.com/oxford/
Welcome Ieva Ragaisyte
A very warm welcome to Ieva who joins the team for a 4-week summer vacation placement starting on 3rd June.
Welcome Lim Zhong Hui
A very warm welcome to Lim who joins the AJR group on 19th June for an 8-week summer vacation placement working on OxStem-funded research project.
Presentation: AJR at Lilly 50 Years of Research at Erl Wood
AJR was invited to speak at Lilly's celebratory symposium entitled 'The next 50 years of neuroscience research' on 14th July. Her talk described the current research within the group to discover new drug candidates towards a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Welcome Fern Woodhouse
A very warm welcome to Fern who joins the AJR group on 17th July on her second SABS-CDT rotation project.
Welcome Jessica Rowley
We are delighted to welcome Jessica Rowley to the group (14th August) who will be working on small molecule modulators of utrophin for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy therapy, a project in collaboration with Professor Dame Kay E. Davies (Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford) and Summit Therapeutics plc.
Poster Prize for Aini Vuorinen
Aini Vuorinen, a Muscular Dystrophy UK-funded DPhil student in Angela Russell’s group, has been awarded a poster prize at 11th European Summer School - Advanced Proteomics in Bressanone, Italy (30th July to 5th August). The international workshop provided a comprehensive insight into proteomic technologies and applications in the life science. Aini presented aspects of her work using chemoproteomics to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of small molecule modulators of utrophin for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapy.
Fellowship award for Aini Vuorinen
Congratulations to Aini Vuorinen who has been awarded a BRONZE prize of €10,000 through the EIT Health Doctoral Transition Fellowship 2017. Aini, a Muscular Dystrophy UK-funded DPhil student in the AJR group, presented her pitch to the panel describing her innovative research. The award has been established to address the innovation funding gap between the submission of the doctoral thesis and pre-thesis defence, and Aini will work on a project with Summit Therapeutics to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of small molecule modulators of utrophin for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Read more...
Welcome to our Part IIs!
We are delighted to welcome our Part IIs to the group: Eleanor Atkinson, William Henshall, Bridget Reeve and Gabriella van der Valk.
Welcome Thomas Cogswell
A very warm welcome to Thomas Cogswell who joined the group (1st Sept) as an OxStem Oncology-funded PDRA working on the development of small molecules to promote differentiation of cancer stem-like cells to more benign states.
Welcome to our DPhils!
We are delighted to welcome our new DPhil students: Rachel Sim, Ria Dinsdale, and Fern Woodhouse.
Thesis submission
Well done to Aini Vuorinen for submitting her DPhil thesis.
Presentation: AJR at Cambridge-Oxford Sunway Biomedical Symposium
AJR presented her talk "Chemistry for regenerative medicine: discovery of small molecules to manipulate stem cell fate" this week (21st/22nd November 2017) at the 2nd Cambridge - Oxford Sunway Biomedical Symposium in Malaysia.
Welcome!
A warm welcome to Matthew Harris who joins the group this month as a lab technician.