At the Lister Institute we have always been pleased and humbled by the large numbers of accomplished and distinguished scientists willing to sit on our Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).
The SAC plays a pivotal role in assessing the quality of our research prize applicants, and eventually determining who to award each new year’s set of funding to.
Members are typically highly experienced researchers in prestigious and important positions, so we also see some reasonably high turnover each year as committee members’ responsibilities shift.
2018 is no exception with the SAC featuring a new chairman and several other new members. We are delighted to say that we had a 100% acceptance rate for our committee member invitations, and would like to introduce you to the new members of the SAC:
John Iredale has served on the SAC since 2013 and became the Chair this year. He is Pro Vice Chancellor Health at the University of Bristol and Chair of Experimental Medicine. His research interests centre around tissue scarring and regeneration.
Barry Potter is Professor of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry at the University of Oxford and is himself an ex-Lister Fellow. His research covers the chemistry-biology and chemistry-medicine interfaces, particularly in signal transduction, anticancer drug discovery and translational and molecular medicine. He is also a Member of Academia Europaea and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. As Professor Potter explains:
“The award of a Lister Institute Fellowship in my first few years as a university lecturer was absolutely pivotal to my development as an independent scientist, providing vital space and resources to get my early research activities off to a powerful start and also, importantly, a connection to a powerful network within UK biomedical science. I am therefore truly delighted to be able to give something back to Lister by helping to choose some of the new generation of young scientists, who stand to benefit hugely from association with the Institute.”
Catherine Nobes is Professor of Cell Biology and Head of School at the University of Bristol’s School of Biochemistry. She studies the regulation of cell migration and cancer cell invasion by Eph receptors and ephrins, which is of relevance to tumour cell motility and invasion.
Fiona Powrie is Director of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and Principal Investigator in the Translational Gastroenterology Unit at the University of Oxford. Her research interests include characterisation of the interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the host immune system, and how this mutualistic relationship breaks down in inflammatory bowel disease. As Professor Powrie says:
“By creating a vibrant scientific community and through flexible funding, the Lister Institute Prize offers a unique platform for bright young scientists to pursue ambitious programmes of research. I am delighted and honoured to join the Scientific Advisory Committee to help the Institute deliver its mission of focusing on future science leaders to drive transformative research.”
Josef Vormoor is a Visiting Professor and former Director of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research in Newcastle University, and recently took up a post at the Netherlands national cancer centre in Utrecht. His research has covered several areas including the development of new therapies for a form of leukaemia known as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) which most commonly affects children and young people.
Judi Allen is Professor of Immunobiology at the University of Manchester. Her laboratory studies the evolution of type 2 immunity and its relationship to tissue repair pathways. Judi Allen is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences. As Professor Allen explains:
“Supporting early career scientists in this challenging funding environment is one of the most important things I can do. The Lister Prize creates opportunities for young researchers to do exciting science and provides a gateway to success. So it is really an honour for me to serve on the scientific advisory committee and help promote the Lister Institute’s mission.”
Sir Michael Owen holds a number of roles at Cardiff University including Director of the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Emeritus Director of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and Professor of Psychological Medicine (Psychiatry). His research involves studying the genetics of major psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and he was knighted for services to psychiatry and neuroscience in 2014.
With such an array of accomplished scientists joining the SAC we are confident that the Lister Institute is in great hands for the future.
For more information and to see the full list of members, please view our page on the Lister Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
