Daphne Jackson Trust Conference 2024:Your research, your way.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Imperial College London

Department:
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Ivan Stoianov

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
February 2023

Fellowship end date:
February 2026

Experimental Assessment of the Performance of Electrochemical Sensors for Measuring Chlorine Residuals in Water Supply Networks

As water pollution concerns increase, ensuring safe drinking water is critical, particularly in accurately detecting residual chlorine. New electrochemical sensors can continuously monitor chlorine in water networks at high spatial and temporal resolution, but they are affected by factors such as flow, pH, and temperature. A two-year chlorine data set from a UK water distribution network was analysed, comparing continuous sensor data with monthly grab samples. The sensors’ accuracy was found to be inadequate for water quality modelling. Laboratory tests identified sources of uncertainty, and recommendations were made to modify the system to improve sensor reliability and reduce these uncertainties.

Presentation Method:
Object, Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Leeds

Department:
School of Physics and Astronomy

Supervisor/s:
Professor Stephen Evans

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
June 2023

Fellowship end date:
June 2026

Growth Method of Optimization for Truss Structures using MATLAB

Trusses consist of interconnected beams or members that provide strong support across large spans. This makes them ideal for structures such as towers, bridges, and roofs. The Eiffel Tower is an example of a truss structure. As these structures increase in size and complexity, the development of an effective and computationally efficient optimisation method is essential. To achieve this, a self-designing growth method of optimisation using the MATLAB programming language is being developed to determine the optimal truss design. This method generates an optimal design with minimal material under member stress and joint cost constraints.

Presentation Method:
Object, Pre-recorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Leeds

Department:
School of Physics and Astronomy

Supervisor/s:
Professor Stephen Evans

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
June 2023

Fellowship end date:
June 2026

Liquid Crystals as Biosensors

Recent research has been investigating the use of liquid crystals in biosensing applications.
What is a Liquid Crystal?
It is a phase between solids and liquids. Solids have order and do not move while liquids have no order and move. Liquid crystals are in between where they have order but still move.
Biological cells are covered with a fatty out layer, that acts as barrier to protect the cell from unwanted incomers. It has been shown that liquid crystal droplets can be coated with a fatty layer, thereby mimicking the biological cell. By exposing the liquid crystal droplets to toxins, we can measure a similar effect as to what would be experienced by a biological cell. In a normal cell the presence of toxins would damage the fatty layer, so by exposing the liquid crystal droplets to toxins, this would in turn remove the fatty layer. Liquid crystals are extremely sensitive to surfaces they are in contact with. This would intern switch liquid crystals orientation, and this could be detected by looking under a microscope or by squeezing the droplets. These techniques have the potential to be applied in a healthcare environment.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Glasgow

Department:
Systems, Power & Energy Research Division, James Watt School of Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Manosh C Paul, Dr Angela Busse

Fellowship Funder:
EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
January 2025

Effect The Fins on The Thermal Characteristics of Lithium-ion Battery Pack with Air Cooling Strategy

This study investigates numerically the performance of an air-cooled battery-thermal management system (BTMS) used in electric cars. The research is particularly focused on investigating the influence of vertical and spiral fins attached to the surface of of a 21700- battery module. Three-dimensional numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS FLUENT, where the mass conservation, Navier–Stokes and energy transport equations were solved using a finite volume approach. The study used polynomial functions to simulate heat generation values in the battery cells. It assesses the effects of the Reynolds number, fin loop

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Jelena Baranovic, Prof. David Wyllie

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
December 2020

Fellowship end date:
June 2025

Activation of AMPA receptors in health and neurodevelopmental disorders

This project focuses on studying AMPA receptors (AMPARs), which are essential for fast communication between neurons in the brain. AMPARs play a key role in memory and learning by responding to the neurotransmitter glutamate. A mutation called Lurcher, found in AMPARs, has been linked to neurological disorders like autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. The mutation makes AMPARs more active, which disrupts normal brain function. This research aims to understand how the Lurcher mutation affects AMPAR function and to explore if an existing epilepsy drug, Perampanel, could be effective for patients with the mutation, potentially leading to better treatments.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
Cardiovascular Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Steve Thomas and Natalie Poulter

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
January 2024

Fellowship end date:
January 2027

Encouraging good endothelial cell etiquette: the first steps in my blood vessel model journey

Heart attacks and strokes result from blood clots forming inappropriately inside blood vessels, often triggered by damage to the endothelial cell layer lining the vessel. My objective is to develop a robust in vitro model system incorporating an endothelial cell layer to study this critical process in detail. To advance this work, I recently visited expert collaborators at Maastricht University. At Birmingham University, I will employ advanced “super resolution” microscopy techniques to gain deeper insights into the interactions between blood cells and the vessel wall. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance treatment options for heart disease patients.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster, Object

Host organisation:
Courtauld Institute of Arts

Department:
Conservation

Supervisor/s:
Prof Aviva Burnstock

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society & Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
September 2023

Fellowship end date:
August 2026

Franciszka Themerson’s materials and techniques: case study for organic materials and their degradation in modern paintings

Modern paintings represent a challenge in art conservation as they can unexpectedly degrade because of new paint formulations, materials, and artistic techniques. To prevent great losses to our cultural heritage, conservators must understand the chemistry of modern art materials.

My research combines two state-of-the-art microscopy techniques in a new way to create protocols for analysing paint samples, enabling conservators to devise more informed and cost-effective treatments. My case-studies are paintings by Post-war Polish-British artist Franciszka Themerson, who in her life also fostered collaborations between artists and scientists. This research sheds light on a pivotal female artist and her contemporaries and originates an approach to preserving modern masterpieces.

Presentation Method:
Images and object

Host organisation:
University of Strathclyde

Department:
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Paul Hoskisson; Professor Gail McConnell

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
November 2020

Fellowship end date:
October 2023

Effects of simulated microgravity on the Candida albicans/Staphylococcus aureus dual species microbial community.

Spaceflight compromises human physiology, resulting in similar health conditions found in the elderly and those with compromised immunity here on Earth. In these terrestrial patient populations, two commonly carried skin microorganisms, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus act together in infection causing serious disease with poor patient outcome.

To understand whether the spaceflight environment influences C. albicans/S. aureus synergy in infection, this study investigates the behaviour of C. albicans/S. aureus co-cultures grown under simulated microgravity conditions, to assess whether these skin microorganisms pose an increased risk to astronauts during extended space missions.

Presentation Method:
laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Reading

Department:
Dept of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Dr Paz Vaqueiro and Prof Anthony Powell

Fellowship Funder:
University of Reading and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Generating power from waste heat

With the increasing demand of energy around the globe there is a need of renewable technologies that can recover the waste heat and reduce the carbon footprints. Thermoelectric technology has huge potential to solve these issues as it can directly convert waste heat into useful power. However, major challenge is, a material should be good electrical conductor (metal) but also a bad conductor of heat (glass). This work aims to develop new cost-effective material using building block approach with alternating layers of different compositions that offers unique blend of properties which would make them a potential candidates for thermoelectric applications.

Presentation Method:
Pre-recorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Swansea University

Department:
Energy Safety Research Institute

Supervisor/s:
Dr Charles Dunnill and Professor Darren Oatley-Radcliffe

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Academy of Engineering

Fellowship start date:
January 2021

Fellowship end date:
December 2023

An animation of my hydrogen electrolyser

The electrolyser which I developed during my Fellowship has a design which is best communicated using a computer animation which I prepared using Scratch, a coding language developed for primary schools.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University London

Department:
Tumour Biology Barts Cancer Institute

Supervisor/s:
Prof Stephanie Kermogant

Fellowship Funder:
Queen Mary University London

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2025

Determining c-Met signalling on endosomes in breast cancer

After a career break, I returned to y academic research as BCI within Prof Stephanie Kermorgant’s lab thanks to Daphne Jackson Trust and my sponsor QMUL. My research project is to understand how the receptor c- Met, which is overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancers and correlates with poor prognosis, signals in Breast Cancer, focusing on its signalling from endosomes, a novel concept reported from the host ab. This project will increase the fundamental knowledge of c-Met signalling in cancer and could provide a new set of targets and/or biomarkers to improve treatment and patient selection for c-Met therapy

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Bristol

Department:
School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Supervisor/s:
Adam Perriman

Fellowship Funder:
Animal Free Research UK

Fellowship start date:
October 2020

Fellowship end date:
November 2024

3D in-vitro modelling macrophages forhealth and disease

Macrophages are immune cells that protect our tissues by fighting off infections and cleaning up dead cells. Recently, we’ve learned that macrophages do much more than that—they play key roles in keeping tissues healthy and even in the development of diseases. Most of what we know about how macrophages work comes from animal studies, but research shows that these findings don’t always apply to humans. That’s why my work focuses on creating lab-based systems to study macrophages more closely. I use hydrogels and 3D bioprinting to recreate the environment macrophages live in within the body. These systems allow us to study how macrophages interact with other tissue cells, and we can tweak the hydrogel to mimic changes that happen in tissues during disease or repair.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Abertay University

Department:
Built Environment and Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Kimberley Bennett

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2027

Seals as sentinels for antibiotic resistance in the marine environment

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is estimated to put millions of lives at risk in the future. Antibiotics can reach the marine environment via overwhelming of the wastewater system, as in recent flooding events. This, along with pollution from agriculture and fish farms contribute to their presence in the sea, driving bacteria to become resistant. This study aims to investigate the diversity of antibiotic resistance in our seas using samples from seals. Data from tagged seals will be analysed to investigate relationships between resistance and the location of fish farms and sewage outlets.

Thank you to NERC for funding my fellowship.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Birkbeck University of London

Department:
School of Psychological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Matthew Longo

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Council

Fellowship start date:
December 2022

Fellowship end date:
November 2025

Visual Discomfort – what is it about the environment and individual that makes a visual experience aversive?

Specific images in our visual environment are reported to cause an aversive response in susceptible individuals. These images include i) regular geometric patterns such as stripes, ii) passages of text and iii) clusters of circles. The symptoms experienced by the viewer are varied, ranging from clinically overt cases such as epilepsy, to milder examples such as reading difficulties or feelings of disgust. It has been hypothesised that our visual system has evolved to process the environment of our ancestors and that these aversive reactions may be natural variation in the populations response to our current, alternative environment.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Cambridge

Department:
Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Supervisor/s:
Prof Carola-Bibiane Schönlieb

Fellowship Funder:
Alan Turing Institute

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
March 2026

From cosmos to cells and back: tales of a multidisciplinary journey.

Research, while ultimately rewarding, demands hard work and perseverance. This is especially true in multidisciplinary fields, where ‘fitting in’ can be a challenge. In this talk, I will share my journey in interdisciplinary research—developing mathematical tools to advance clinical imaging techniques and how these tools have been adapted to detect and analyse astrophysical signals.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Carolyn Greig, Dr Richard Borrows

Fellowship Funder:
Kidney Research UK

Fellowship start date:
July 2021

Fellowship end date:
March 2024

Can resistance exercise training combined with protein supplementation improve frailty in kidney transplant recipients?

We explored the eficacy of resistance exercise training (RET) combined with protein supplementation (RETPS) in improving frailty in KTRs. Forty KTRs were randomised to RET or RETPS. All participants completed RET thrice weekly for 12 weeks. The RETPS group received whey protein supplementation 1-hour post- exercise. Frailty was assessed by physical tests, muscle strength and mass. All frailty measurements improved in both groups, with RETPS group demonstrating additional improvements in physical capacity and muscle strength. Muscle mass increased in RETPS group only. RETPS is efective in improving frailty in KTRs. Protein supplementation augments increased muscle strength and mass beyond RET efect.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
Institute of Inflammation and Ageing- Rheumatology Research Group

Supervisor/s:
Prof Adam Croft

Fellowship Funder:
The Kennedy Trust and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Synovial biopsies in children – how would you feel when faced with this option?

The synovium is a specialised membrane that lines the joint space of many of the joints of the body. However, in arthritis, this membrane can become inflamed. This results in joint pain, swelling and stifness. This kind of arthritis can happen in children, afecting their day-to-day activities, and often continuing in adulthood. If you were a parent of a child with arthritis, how would you feel about being given this diagnosis? And how likely would you be to involve your child in research?

Presentation Method:
Poster/Object

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Nufield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology

Supervisor/s:
Prof Dame Fiona Powrie, Dr Nick Ilott, Dr Rebecca Jefrey

Fellowship Funder:
Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research and MRC

Fellowship start date:
August 2024

Fellowship end date:
August 2027

The gut-liver axis in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)

PSC causes liver bile ducts to close up stopping the flow of bile into the gut. There is no efective treatment, but many PSC suferers get liver transplants, which is not a cure.

Patients with PSC often have IBD (usually ulcerative colitis) as well.

Using poo and blood samples from patients, we ask:

How the liver and the gut are interacting in PSC (the “gut-liver axis”).

What changes happen and when during the first 12 months after diagnosis? Can we improve understanding of PSC to design better treatments and tests for PSC?

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster, object

Host organisation:
University of Aberdeen

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Ashish Malik, Prof Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Dr Marta Dondini

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
August 2021

Fellowship end date:
April 2025

Can microbial bioinoculants help restore soil organic carbon in degraded cropland soils?

Agricultural activities can cause soil degradation leading to soil organic carbon (SOC) loss that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Restoring SOC can therefore help mitigate climate change. The soil microbiome is responsible for transforming plant materials into SOC and can be recruited to help build healthy soils. To test this, we transplanted microbiomes from grassland and cropland soil into their sterile counterparts, from two UK sites. We examined microbiome assemblage and observed that after 7 months, a grassland- derived microbiome increased SOC in cropland soil at one site. This supports the use of soil microbial inoculants to benefit environmental restoration.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of York Department: History

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Mark Jenner and Chris Renwick

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and AHRC and ESRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2024

Resistance in the Daily Mail to Medical Record Databases, 1980s-today

Numerous attempts to pool hospital and GP patient records onto one mega database have faced resistance ever since digitalisation became possible in the 1980s. The current incarnation, NHS Digital, is the latest in a long line of attempts to pool these records, all of which have been widely reported in the Daily Mail, which has long been opposed to the sharing of such personal information. This talk will explore how attempts to digitalise and pool medical data over the last 30 years have been represented in the Mail to understanding public resistance to the use and sharing of medical information.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Department of Biology

Supervisor/s:
Prof Ashleigh Grifin

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
September 2023

Fellowship end date:
September 2026

Are old sperm a problem?

Sperm storage is widespread in nature. Male sperm storage is determined by periods of sexual abstinence and female sperm storage is a strategy to separate insemination from fertilisation. Despite advantages of storing sperm, prolonged storage can lead to deterioration. Such “old sperm” can have reduced viability and ability to fertilise eggs, with detrimental efects for the embryo. I will determine when old sperm is a problem for males, females and ofspring using a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis, spanning studies on human and non-human animals. I will highlight the environments most damaging for sperm and the evolutionary consequences of using old sperm.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Durham University

Department:
Department of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Dr Clare Mahon

Fellowship Funder:
Durham University

Fellowship start date:
August 2024

Fellowship end date:
August 2027

Utilisation of RAFT and ROMP as Crafting Tools in Synthesis of Bioresponsive Cartilage Proteoglycan Mimics

Arthritis is a widespread, limiting mobility joint disease, which accompanies by damage of protective cartilage in joints and changes in the joint fluid that plays an important role in joint health, acting like oil lubricating the moving parts of a machine. Proposed research seeks to modernize arthritis treatment by developing new materials which mimic natural lubricating properties and behaviour of joint fluid. The aim is for these compounds to respond to changes in their environment connected with arthritic flares, so that they release medicine to provide relief at the point it is needed by the body.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Warwick

Department:
Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Murray Grant

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
August 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Novel bioactive molecules of Trichoderma hamatum ΔhepA for eco-sustainable agriculture

Plant inoculation with an eco-friendly strain ofT. hamatum ΔhepA or its natural metabolites could induce active biological responses against plant pathogens and reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers in the UK’s agricultural and environmental systems. This ΔhepA mutant exhibits enhanced growth promotion in assays with lettuce, along with antifungal activity against the white mould pathogen. By combining comparative chromatography-mass spectrometry with in- vivo plant growth bioassays, I identified the cryptic natural metabolites responsible for the antimicrobial activity and plant growth promotion. Thank you so much to Daphne Jackson Trust, Warwick University and the BBSRC for funding my fellowship to running this important project.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
King’s College London

Department:
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science

Supervisor/s:
Prof Miraz K Rahman

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
April 2025

PROTAC (Proteolysis targeting chimeras) degradation of O-GlcNAcase / O-GlcNAc transferase as a novel therapeutic strategy

Many proteins that regulate critical functions within our body have specialized sugars attached to them. These sugar modifications are common and mainly take place at the surface and inside cells. Two proteins control the levels of this specialized sugar on proteins inside of cells. One protein adds these sugar units, and the other removes them. These sugar units on proteins inside cells are linked to various diseases, including diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. So, there is much interest in studying how these two proteins act in these diseases and whether they can be targeted with therapeutics for human benefit.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Queen’s University Belfast

Department:
School of natural and build environment

Supervisor/s:
Prof Su Taylor

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Innovating Resilient Cities: The Future of Structural Health Monitoring

In response to the challenges faced by our planet, my research integrates structural health monitoring with cutting-edge technology to develop advanced monitoring techniques that promote resilient and sustainable smart cities.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Roehampton

Department:
Centre for Integrated Research in Life and Health Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Lewis Halsey, University of Roehampton, Dr Kyle Elliott, McGill University

Fellowship Funder:
Funder: University of Roehampton and NERC

Fellowship start date:
March 2022

Fellowship end date:
March 2025

How elderly seabirds keep flying, diving, thriving when they should be retiring

We investigate the efects of ageing on the physiology, behaviour, and ecology of a long- lived seabird, black-legged kittiwakes, on Middleton Island, Alaska. Middleton provides a historical dataset of known-age banded birds, with records since 1995.

As deterioration in cardiac function is the ultimate cause of death in many animals, temporary surgically-implanted heart monitors allow us to examine changes in heart-rate and heart-rate variability with age. Over three field seasons, monitors were deployed on 110 known-age birds. This research will develop our understanding of how physiology, behaviour, and ecology change over lifetimes, with far-reaching implications from marine conservation to human ageing.

Presentation Method:
Video demonstration/Laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Coventry University

Department:
Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE)

Supervisor/s:
Professor Sarah Whatley

Fellowship Funder:
AHRC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
February 2026

KC+ Responsive encounters between dance, music, and robots

This short 4-minute performative demonstration presents a dancer, a musician, and a robot, simultaneous responding to each other within an electronic sound world. As they attempt to engage in a collective togethering, their objective is to find meaningful moments of connection. By observing the unfolding improvisation, the audience will be able to see how an emerging flow develops between them. What arises from their cooperative improvisation, is a unique sense of togetherness. This togetherness will then be discussed in relation to the dancers, musicians and robot’s capabilities to consider how we might create more intimate human-computer interactions.

https://vimeo.com/1007243209.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
University of Greenwich

Department:
Natural Resources Institute, Agriculture, Health & Environment Department

Supervisor/s:
Jeremy Haggar, Conor Walsh

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

Impact of Roots on the Carbon Balance of Cofee

Cofee is one of the most important crops in the world, but there are few scientific studies on cofee roots. This study, in agroforestry cofee systems in Costa Rica, focuses on root growth and how that is related to aboveground tree growth and soil properties in plantations where cofee is grown together with diferent shade trees. Incorporating fine roots in system carbon balance calculations will improve understanding and can help to identify sinks and sources of carbon in the system and potential ways to reduce system impact on climate change.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of GeoSciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Hugh Sinclair

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
December 2024

Mapping Evolving Himalayan Rivers Using Synthetic Aperture Radar: Insights into Sediment Build-Up and Flood Risks

This study uses satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to map elevation changes in rivers from the Himalayan Mountains into the Gangetic Plains. Focusing on gravel-rich river sections, sediment build-up rates of up to 20 millimeters per year near the mountains were identified, decreasing further downstream. In contrast, surrounding floodplain areas are sinking by about 15 millimeters per year. This groundbreaking research is the first to use SAR to monitor rivers during the dry winter season, providing crucial insights into river changes that could afect flood risks and river shifting in the region.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Surrey University

Department:
Maths & Physics

Supervisor/s:
Dr Noelia Noel

Fellowship Funder:
STFC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2025

BRIDGE – Bringing Light into the Darkness of Galaxy Evolution

Lambda CDM cosmology uses stellar components to predict the number of isolated dwarf galaxies in our local group, however this number is more than we currently observe. I use a high resolution simulation suite of dwarf galaxies called EDGE to show that in some star forming dwarf galaxies there are periods of time when stellar feedback depletes the HI gas enough to stop star formation. Hence arguing that HI gas should be included in these galaxy predictions. I model this relationship between star formation and HI gas to better predict the number of dwarf galaxies in our local group.

Presentation Method:
Object/Prerecorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Natural History Museum, London

Department:
Mollusca

Supervisor/s:
Dr Suzanne Williams

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society and NERC

Fellowship start date:
August 2023

Fellowship end date:
August 2026

The evolution of blue and green shell colour

Why have blue and green shells evolved rarely in bivalve molluscs? To investigate why this is the case, we must first understand the mechanism producing the colour – chemical pigments and / or structures able to interact with light to produce structural colours. Using this information together with knowledge of a species’ ecology (habitat type and depth), biogeography (global distribution in relation to temperature, depth, salinity, oxygen and nutrients) and evolutionary relationships between bivalve species, we can begin to look for patterns to understand the drivers of the evolution of shell colour.

Presentation Method:
Poster /Image /Alternative Poster, Photographs

Host organisation:
The University of York

Department:
History of Art

Supervisor/s:
Professor Michael White, Dr Ana Bilbao Yarto

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and AHRC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2026

International Reverberations: Experimental Artistic Networks in 1960s Japan

Histories of modern and contemporary art have often favoured American and European perspectives. To work towards equality, non- Western art must be further investigated. This study concerns an influential, international network, Fluxus, established in the mid twentieth century. It includes many Japanese participants, whose backgrounds have been less researched than those of the Western artists. Three Japanese Fluxus associates were members of Group Ongaku, a pioneering, free- improvisational music group. I explore their interactions with experimental groups and ideas in Japan, as well as other non-Western countries. The impact in analysing overlooked aspects of experimental practice and comprehending Fluxus and its influence will be significant.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Nottingham

Department:
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science

Supervisor/s:
Adam Blanchard

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
January 2023

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Developing analysis methods to better understand the heart symptoms in myotonic dystrophy patients

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic condition that causes a wide range of symptoms.

Patients can sufer from muscle weakness and wasting, heart rhythm problems and the inability to relax certain muscles after use. The condition is passed through family members and is caused by a change of the genetic sequence in the DNA. My project uses techniques to study datasets from patient heart samples and compare them to healthy individuals. My research aims to uncover the similarities and diferences between the samples to generate a clearer picture of what genetic changes underlie the heart conditions observed in DM patients.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Portsmouth

Department:
School of the Environment and Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Nick Pepin, Prof Richard Teeuw

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
January 2023

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Tracing vegetation changes on Mount Kiliminjrow: Insights on long term vegetation trends and its driving factors on the tallest Africa`s mountain

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, rising 5,895 meters above sea level in north-eastern Tanzania, has experienced notable land cover changes on its slopes over the last century, largely attributed to ongoing climate warming and extensive land use changes. This study is the first to examine vegetation change on Kilimanjaro from 2000 to 2022 using remote sensing datasets, particularly the Normalized Diference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The findings highlight systematic long-term change in vegetation health difer by elevation zone and by season.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Keele University

Department:
Pharmacy & Bioengineering

Supervisor/s:
Professor Karina Wright, Dr Martin Frisher

Fellowship Funder:
Orthopaedic Research UK & MRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2023

Fellowship end date:
November 2026

Does knee cartilage repair surgery prevent arthritis or the need for a joint replacement?

In the UK, 1/5 over-45s have osteoarthritis, the knee being the most frequently afected joint. The cause of osteoarthritis is unknown. It develops when cartilage wears out. It’s treated with physiotherapy, painkillers, surgery, or as a last resort, a joint replacement. Ideally, knee surgeries in over-45s will slow osteoarthritis and delay or eliminate the need for joint replacement. We don’t know if this happens. To work out the true efect of knee surgeries I’m analysing health records from our hospital and linking them to national registries. I’m developing a tool to help surgeons find the surgery most likely to slow osteoarthritis, improving quality of life and reducing the need for knee replacements.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University of London

Department:
Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute

Supervisor/s:
Prof Li Chan, Prof Panos Deloukas

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Studying the Genetics of Obesity in Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome (DS) afects more than 40,000 people in the UK. Individuals with DS carry all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21 in their cells; this causes a wide range of health conditions, including obesity. We know that genetics is important in determining body weight, and in most people, this is caused by hundreds of small genetic diferences acting in combinations. Do these variations contribute to obesity in DS in the same way? Finding the answer will help to understand the similarity between common and DS obesity, and eventually improve our ability to predict and manage obesity in DS.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
The University of Glasgow

Department:
School of Infection & Immunity

Supervisor/s:
Prof James Brewer

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2024

Fellowship end date:
January 2027

Mimicking live germs with nanoparticles to develop better vaccines

Live germs tend to stimulate a stronger immune response compared to dead ones, but using live germs in vaccines can be a challenge. Making our vaccines live-like through nanoparticle technology may ofer the perfect blend of strong immune response and safety. Here, we introduce how a nature- inspired nanoparticle stimulates immunological efects that may ofer new opportunities in diferent vaccine applications

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Supervisor/s:
Professor Penny Fielding and Dr Robert Irvine

Fellowship Funder:
AHRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
October 2023

‘Dead men don’t bite’: Reading disability and normativity in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Writing

Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing recurringly explores ideas relating to (non-)normativity, across all its forms of expression; however, there is a dearth of critical engagement with his work from this perspective. This presentation considers his depiction of bodily non- normativity, specifically, in Treasure Island (1883), and argues that Stevenson challenges and complicates, rather than upholds and perpetuates, negative stereotypes of disability in this text. It asks what broader ideas relating to the relationship between society and normativity can be drawn from this case study, and further suggests how this paves the way for a fresh critical appraisal of Stevenson’s work.

Presentation Method:
Laptop and Oral presentationr

Host organisation:
University of Glasgow

Department:
Public Health

Supervisor/s:
Prof Jill Pell, Prof Scott Nelson, Dr Michael Fleming

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
October 2023

Fellowship end date:
October 2026

Using electronic health records to understand long term impact of taking medications in pregnancy

Mental health disorders are increasingly common in pregnant women, as in the general population. Evidence suggests that use of psychotropic medication, such as antidepressants, during pregnancy has also greatly increased in recent years. For some of these drugs, the long-term efect on the child is unknown. This study uses unique datasets linking Scottish and Welsh maternity records with prescribing data, child health records, and education databases. This allows us to assess associations between specific medications and child health and educational outcomes. This research aims to provide much needed information for pregnant women and clinicians alike.

Presentation Method:
Poster/Object

Host organisation:
University of York

Department:
Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Prof Paul H. Walton

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
August 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Bio-inspired modelling of the copper- histidine brace active site of LPMOs – towards artificial copper oxidases

Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases (LPMOs) are at type of protein that contain a copper metal ion and are found throughout nature, produced by a wide range of diferent organisms. LPMOs and are key in breaking down biomass into sugars which are then processed into bioethanol. This makes them a key source of carbon-neutral energy. This research aims to produce a small molecule mimic of the copper centre found in the protein in order to gain further insight into the action of this class of proteins. If catalytically active, these species have potential industrial application to the production of bioethanol.

Presentation Method:
Laptop Presentation/Object

Host organisation:
University of Liverpool

Department:
Physics

Supervisor/s:
Tim Veal

Fellowship Funder:
EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
December 2024

Symmetry and strain engineering of correlated metallic oxides for topological and spintronic applications

The rapidly increasing energy demands of the power-hungry computing technologies require new breakthrough materials for energy- eficient logic switching in green computing.

Oxide heterostructure engineering has the potential to access emergent physical properties based on competing electronic correlation and spin orbit coupling interactions. Manipulating the stacking of atomic planes to capture particular crystal symmetries arising from the kagome and honeycomb nets ofers a route to robust conducting states which are protected by the mathematical shape of their electronic structure. Lattice engineering at the interface in these spin-orbit metals could enable enhanced charge-to-magnetism interconversion reducing the switching current in eficient spintronics devices.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
University of Manchester

Department:
Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Alexander Romanov

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society of Chemistry & University of Manchester

Fellowship start date:
March 2022

Fellowship end date:
February 2025

New boron-rich materials for light emitting applications

During my Fellowship project I have been designing, synthesising and characterising a variety of novel light-emitting materials that incorporate boron-rich carborane clusters. These materials can be used in a variety of applications including OLEDs – where the carborane units confer unique properties and stability, while also allowing the tuning of emission properties such as colour and eficiency. My presentation is a sample of some of the materials I have made and their photoluminescence across the visible spectrum.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Cambridge

Department:
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Department of Pathology

Supervisor/s:
Professor Amanda Sferruzzi Perri, Professor Kathy Niakan, Professor Andrew Firth

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
October 2023

Fellowship end date:
September 2026

Not Just About Me & Human Viruses—- a tough journey with shimmering positiveness

There are 4 parts:

A film shows a typical day at the laboratories and “about me” from a remote village in China where nobody else had ever been to university, to university in Shanghai and Cambridge for my PhD, then to the Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship at the Laboratory of Molecule Biology before my research break.

A chalk board assists oral presentation about current work. A film shows human stem cells in culture. A poem (published) expresses my passion in a second language towards science research, aiming to encourage the return and pursuit.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Wellcome Institute for Integrative Neuroimaging

Supervisor/s:
Karla Miller

Fellowship Funder:
Alzheimer’s Society

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2027

Difusion MRI to Detect Early Signs of Neurodegenerative Disease in the Brain’s Grey Matter

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are a critical public health problem. Their diagnosis and treatment would be transformed by a non-invasive way to detect microscopic damage to the brain’s grey matter. Standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can only show changes in large anatomical features, but difusion MRI (dMRI) is sensitive to microscopic tissue structure. Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear how to interpret dMRI data in grey matter. I’m conducting research to reveal the tissue features that influence difusion dynamics in cortical grey matter, in order to fully develop this diagnostic technology.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Liverpool John Moores University

Department:
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr David Low

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

Getting Under the Skin of the Menopausal Hot Flush

Menopausal hot flushes, experienced by ~80% of women are extreme thermoregulatory events, with the key symptoms occurring at the skin, namely, flushing/reddening and sweating. Hormone replacement therapy can alleviate hot flushes in some women, but few alternative treatments are available due to an incomplete understanding of the physiological mechanisms underpinning hot flushes, particularly in the skin. This research examines skin blood vessel and sweat gland function (responsiveness) and structure in pre- and postmenopausal women who do and do not experience hot flushes. The findings will increase our understanding of the causes of hot flushes and help to design efective treatments.

Presentation Method:
Poster

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University London

Department:
William Harvey Research Centre & Blizard Institute

Supervisor/s:
Dr Suzanne Eldridge Prof Francesco Dell’accio

Fellowship Funder:
The Kennedy Research Trust for Rheumatology Research and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Novel treatment for obesity-induced osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of the cartilage surface of the joint that provides smooth motion. Patients sufer from pain, swelling, stifness, and dificulty in carrying out daily activities. There is no cure or prevention for the 10million suferers in the UK. Obesity is the most preventable pre-disposing factor of osteoarthritis. As well as the extra weight putting additional strain on joints, fat cells also release proteins causing inflammation. These two factors lead to the release of even more proteins and chemicals, exacerbating the problem further. My work investigates the potential of a new drug in reversing these changes.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Imperial College London

Department:
Surgery & Cancer

Supervisor/s:
Prof Charlotte Bevan, Prof Simak Ali

Fellowship Funder:
Imperial College London and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2025

Finding ways to personalise targeted therapy for advanced breast and prostate cancer

Targeted cancer therapy is much less toxic than traditional chemotherapy that is used for advanced breast and prostate cancer. Unfortunately, cancer cells become resistant to target therapy eventually – I am finding multiple biomarkers that allow sensitivity to those drugs. We can use these to choose which patients will benefit most from these drugs and thereby reducing resistance/relapse. I am studying two cell signalling pathway, 1) mTOR pathway that controls cell growth and 2) DNA damage response pathway that controls cell death.

Presentation Method:
Pre-recorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Kent

Department:
Schools of Chemistry and Biosciences (Division of Natural Sciences)

Supervisor/s:
Professor Jennifer R. Hiscock and Professor Michelle D. Garrett

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2024

Developing a Chameleonic Drug Delivery System to Prevent a Predicted Global Health Crises

The fight against drug resistance by superbugs and cancer, which medicines can no longer kill, demands solutions to overcome 10 of millions of deaths by 2050. This research investigates the development of a novel small molecule technology (SSAs), discovered at the University of Kent in 2019. The aims were to chemically change the structure of SSAs to produce new self-delivered drugs and combine SSAs with known and repurposed drug molecules. Designs focussed on specific cell targeting, and biological testing used clinically relevant bacteria and fatal brain cancer cells, to help determine their potential into the clinic.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Brunel University London

Department:
Institute of Energy Futures, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Prof Savvas Tassou

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Academy of Engineering and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
February 2021

Fellowship end date:
January 2024

Devising Demand Side Response Strategy for Supermarket Energy Management using Neural Networks

Demand Side Response (DSR) is one of the key strategies adopted by the National Grid UK in order to decarbonise the power system. The aim of DSR is to manage electricity consumption during peak times rather than generate more power to meet demand, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Supermarkets are commercial buildings which have a sizeable power demand in the form of the food refrigeration systems which account for around 50% of their total power consumption. But using refrigeration system to manage power demand is a challenge as product quality needs to be maintained at all times. This project investigated, using simulation, whether that challenge can be addressed.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Bath

Department:
Department of Mathematical Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Jonathan Dawes

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
November 2022

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

The unconventional flow in the eye – and how to understand glaucoma treatment

In mechanical terms, the eye behaves as a pressurised bag of fluids. Pressure regulation is achieved by controlling the outflow of aqueous humour, which nourishes key tissues before leaving the eye via two routes: the conventional and unconventional outflows. In glaucoma, the conventional route becomes progressively blocked, meaning the unconventional route becomes more important. Our pioneering study has used complicated mathematical techniques in fluid dynamics and mass transport to develop the first theoretical model of the unconventional outflow. This model provides unique and essential insights into how certain glaucoma drugs work.

Presentation Method:
Poster

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Prof. Neil B. McKeown

Fellowship Funder:
Department of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
July 2024

Fellowship end date:
June 2027

Novel imidazole-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) for membrane applications

New polymer (plastics) that can improve the environmental sustainability of many important industrial processes on which society depends such as carbon capture from electricity generation involves the separation of carbon dioxide from other gases help to reduce the carbon emissions. Membranes made from these polymers can act like filters to separate one gas from another. To improve the eficiency of carbon capture, we aim to make a polymer that allows a large quantity of carbon dioxide to pass through it and selectively filtering out other gases so that the carbon dioxide can be collected pure and then prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
Centre for Inflammation Research

Supervisor/s:
Julia Dorin, Sara Brown

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Project DEFENSIN

An isolated scientist battles personal demons while striving to save humanity from a horrifying skin disease.

A small population of humanity is afected by an excruciating and debilitating inflammatory skin disease, designated ‘Hidradenitis suppurativa’. The diagnosis process is long and arduous, and treatments are limited and unreliable. Plagued by excruciating, pustulant, abscesses, the afected are losing hope. A lone researcher believes that a tiny inflammatory protein, code-named ‘Defensin’ could hold the key to understanding the disease. Struggling against her own challenges, both physical and mental, she races against time to test her hypothesis and unlock the secrets of the afliction.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster, Object

Host organisation:
Courtauld Institute of Arts

Department:
Conservation

Supervisor/s:
Prof Aviva Burnstock

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society & Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
September 2023

Fellowship end date:
August 2026

Franciszka Themerson’s materials and techniques: case study for organic materials and their degradation in modern paintings

Modern paintings represent a challenge in art conservation as they can unexpectedly degrade because of new paint formulations, materials, and artistic techniques. To prevent great losses to our cultural heritage, conservators must understand the chemistry of modern art materials.

My research combines two state-of-the-art microscopy techniques in a new way to create protocols for analysing paint samples, enabling conservators to devise more informed and cost-effective treatments. My case-studies are paintings by Post-war Polish-British artist Franciszka Themerson, who in her life also fostered collaborations between artists and scientists. This research sheds light on a pivotal female artist and her contemporaries and originates an approach to preserving modern masterpieces.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of York Department: History

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Mark Jenner and Chris Renwick

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and AHRC and ESRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2024

Resistance in the Daily Mail to Medical Record Databases, 1980s-today

Numerous attempts to pool hospital and GP patient records onto one mega database have faced resistance ever since digitalisation became possible in the 1980s. The current incarnation, NHS Digital, is the latest in a long line of attempts to pool these records, all of which have been widely reported in the Daily Mail, which has long been opposed to the sharing of such personal information. This talk will explore how attempts to digitalise and pool medical data over the last 30 years have been represented in the Mail to understanding public resistance to the use and sharing of medical information.

Presentation Method:
Video demonstration/Laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Coventry University

Department:
Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE)

Supervisor/s:
Professor Sarah Whatley

Fellowship Funder:
AHRC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
February 2026

KC+ Responsive encounters between dance, music, and robots

This short 4-minute performative demonstration presents a dancer, a musician, and a robot, simultaneous responding to each other within an electronic sound world. As they attempt to engage in a collective togethering, their objective is to find meaningful moments of connection. By observing the unfolding improvisation, the audience will be able to see how an emerging flow develops between them. What arises from their cooperative improvisation, is a unique sense of togetherness. This togetherness will then be discussed in relation to the dancers, musicians and robot’s capabilities to consider how we might create more intimate human-computer interactions.

https://vimeo.com/1007243209.

Presentation Method:
Poster /Image /Alternative Poster, Photographs

Host organisation:
The University of York

Department:
History of Art

Supervisor/s:
Professor Michael White, Dr Ana Bilbao Yarto

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and AHRC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2026

International Reverberations: Experimental Artistic Networks in 1960s Japan

Histories of modern and contemporary art have often favoured American and European perspectives. To work towards equality, non- Western art must be further investigated. This study concerns an influential, international network, Fluxus, established in the mid twentieth century. It includes many Japanese participants, whose backgrounds have been less researched than those of the Western artists. Three Japanese Fluxus associates were members of Group Ongaku, a pioneering, free- improvisational music group. I explore their interactions with experimental groups and ideas in Japan, as well as other non-Western countries. The impact in analysing overlooked aspects of experimental practice and comprehending Fluxus and its influence will be significant.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Supervisor/s:
Professor Penny Fielding and Dr Robert Irvine

Fellowship Funder:
AHRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
October 2023

‘Dead men don’t bite’: Reading disability and normativity in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Writing

Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing recurringly explores ideas relating to (non-)normativity, across all its forms of expression; however, there is a dearth of critical engagement with his work from this perspective. This presentation considers his depiction of bodily non- normativity, specifically, in Treasure Island (1883), and argues that Stevenson challenges and complicates, rather than upholds and perpetuates, negative stereotypes of disability in this text. It asks what broader ideas relating to the relationship between society and normativity can be drawn from this case study, and further suggests how this paves the way for a fresh critical appraisal of Stevenson’s work.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Imperial College London

Department:
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Ivan Stoianov

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
February 2023

Fellowship end date:
February 2026

Experimental Assessment of the Performance of Electrochemical Sensors for Measuring Chlorine Residuals in Water Supply Networks

As water pollution concerns increase, ensuring safe drinking water is critical, particularly in accurately detecting residual chlorine. New electrochemical sensors can continuously monitor chlorine in water networks at high spatial and temporal resolution, but they are affected by factors such as flow, pH, and temperature. A two-year chlorine data set from a UK water distribution network was analysed, comparing continuous sensor data with monthly grab samples. The sensors’ accuracy was found to be inadequate for water quality modelling. Laboratory tests identified sources of uncertainty, and recommendations were made to modify the system to improve sensor reliability and reduce these uncertainties.

Presentation Method:
Object, Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Leeds

Department:
School of Physics and Astronomy

Supervisor/s:
Professor Stephen Evans

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
June 2023

Fellowship end date:
June 2026

Growth Method of Optimization for Truss Structures using MATLAB

Trusses consist of interconnected beams or members that provide strong support across large spans. This makes them ideal for structures such as towers, bridges, and roofs. The Eiffel Tower is an example of a truss structure. As these structures increase in size and complexity, the development of an effective and computationally efficient optimisation method is essential. To achieve this, a self-designing growth method of optimisation using the MATLAB programming language is being developed to determine the optimal truss design. This method generates an optimal design with minimal material under member stress and joint cost constraints.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Glasgow

Department:
Systems, Power & Energy Research Division, James Watt School of Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Manosh C Paul, Dr Angela Busse

Fellowship Funder:
EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
January 2025

Effect The Fins on The Thermal Characteristics of Lithium-ion Battery Pack with Air Cooling Strategy

This study investigates numerically the performance of an air-cooled battery-thermal management system (BTMS) used in electric cars. The research is particularly focused on investigating the influence of vertical and spiral fins attached to the surface of of a 21700- battery module. Three-dimensional numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS FLUENT, where the mass conservation, Navier–Stokes and energy transport equations were solved using a finite volume approach. The study used polynomial functions to simulate heat generation values in the battery cells. It assesses the effects of the Reynolds number, fin loop

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Queen’s University Belfast

Department:
School of natural and build environment

Supervisor/s:
Prof Su Taylor

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Innovating Resilient Cities: The Future of Structural Health Monitoring

In response to the challenges faced by our planet, my research integrates structural health monitoring with cutting-edge technology to develop advanced monitoring techniques that promote resilient and sustainable smart cities.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Jelena Baranovic, Prof. David Wyllie

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
December 2020

Fellowship end date:
June 2025

Activation of AMPA receptors in health and neurodevelopmental disorders

This project focuses on studying AMPA receptors (AMPARs), which are essential for fast communication between neurons in the brain. AMPARs play a key role in memory and learning by responding to the neurotransmitter glutamate. A mutation called Lurcher, found in AMPARs, has been linked to neurological disorders like autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. The mutation makes AMPARs more active, which disrupts normal brain function. This research aims to understand how the Lurcher mutation affects AMPAR function and to explore if an existing epilepsy drug, Perampanel, could be effective for patients with the mutation, potentially leading to better treatments.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
Cardiovascular Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Steve Thomas and Natalie Poulter

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
January 2024

Fellowship end date:
January 2027

Encouraging good endothelial cell etiquette: the first steps in my blood vessel model journey

Heart attacks and strokes result from blood clots forming inappropriately inside blood vessels, often triggered by damage to the endothelial cell layer lining the vessel. My objective is to develop a robust in vitro model system incorporating an endothelial cell layer to study this critical process in detail. To advance this work, I recently visited expert collaborators at Maastricht University. At Birmingham University, I will employ advanced “super resolution” microscopy techniques to gain deeper insights into the interactions between blood cells and the vessel wall. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance treatment options for heart disease patients.

Presentation Method:
Images and object

Host organisation:
University of Strathclyde

Department:
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Paul Hoskisson; Professor Gail McConnell

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
November 2020

Fellowship end date:
October 2023

Effects of simulated microgravity on the Candida albicans/Staphylococcus aureus dual species microbial community.

Spaceflight compromises human physiology, resulting in similar health conditions found in the elderly and those with compromised immunity here on Earth. In these terrestrial patient populations, two commonly carried skin microorganisms, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus act together in infection causing serious disease with poor patient outcome.

To understand whether the spaceflight environment influences C. albicans/S. aureus synergy in infection, this study investigates the behaviour of C. albicans/S. aureus co-cultures grown under simulated microgravity conditions, to assess whether these skin microorganisms pose an increased risk to astronauts during extended space missions.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University London

Department:
Tumour Biology Barts Cancer Institute

Supervisor/s:
Prof Stephanie Kermogant

Fellowship Funder:
Queen Mary University London

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2025

Determining c-Met signalling on endosomes in breast cancer

After a career break, I returned to y academic research as BCI within Prof Stephanie Kermorgant’s lab thanks to Daphne Jackson Trust and my sponsor QMUL. My research project is to understand how the receptor c- Met, which is overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancers and correlates with poor prognosis, signals in Breast Cancer, focusing on its signalling from endosomes, a novel concept reported from the host ab. This project will increase the fundamental knowledge of c-Met signalling in cancer and could provide a new set of targets and/or biomarkers to improve treatment and patient selection for c-Met therapy

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Bristol

Department:
School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Supervisor/s:
Adam Perriman

Fellowship Funder:
Animal Free Research UK

Fellowship start date:
October 2020

Fellowship end date:
November 2024

3D in-vitro modelling macrophages forhealth and disease

Macrophages are immune cells that protect our tissues by fighting off infections and cleaning up dead cells. Recently, we’ve learned that macrophages do much more than that—they play key roles in keeping tissues healthy and even in the development of diseases. Most of what we know about how macrophages work comes from animal studies, but research shows that these findings don’t always apply to humans. That’s why my work focuses on creating lab-based systems to study macrophages more closely. I use hydrogels and 3D bioprinting to recreate the environment macrophages live in within the body. These systems allow us to study how macrophages interact with other tissue cells, and we can tweak the hydrogel to mimic changes that happen in tissues during disease or repair.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Abertay University

Department:
Built Environment and Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Kimberley Bennett

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2027

Seals as sentinels for antibiotic resistance in the marine environment

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is estimated to put millions of lives at risk in the future. Antibiotics can reach the marine environment via overwhelming of the wastewater system, as in recent flooding events. This, along with pollution from agriculture and fish farms contribute to their presence in the sea, driving bacteria to become resistant. This study aims to investigate the diversity of antibiotic resistance in our seas using samples from seals. Data from tagged seals will be analysed to investigate relationships between resistance and the location of fish farms and sewage outlets.

Thank you to NERC for funding my fellowship.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Carolyn Greig, Dr Richard Borrows

Fellowship Funder:
Kidney Research UK

Fellowship start date:
July 2021

Fellowship end date:
March 2024

Can resistance exercise training combined with protein supplementation improve frailty in kidney transplant recipients?

We explored the eficacy of resistance exercise training (RET) combined with protein supplementation (RETPS) in improving frailty in KTRs. Forty KTRs were randomised to RET or RETPS. All participants completed RET thrice weekly for 12 weeks. The RETPS group received whey protein supplementation 1-hour post- exercise. Frailty was assessed by physical tests, muscle strength and mass. All frailty measurements improved in both groups, with RETPS group demonstrating additional improvements in physical capacity and muscle strength. Muscle mass increased in RETPS group only. RETPS is efective in improving frailty in KTRs. Protein supplementation augments increased muscle strength and mass beyond RET efect.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Birmingham

Department:
Institute of Inflammation and Ageing- Rheumatology Research Group

Supervisor/s:
Prof Adam Croft

Fellowship Funder:
The Kennedy Trust and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Synovial biopsies in children – how would you feel when faced with this option?

The synovium is a specialised membrane that lines the joint space of many of the joints of the body. However, in arthritis, this membrane can become inflamed. This results in joint pain, swelling and stifness. This kind of arthritis can happen in children, afecting their day-to-day activities, and often continuing in adulthood. If you were a parent of a child with arthritis, how would you feel about being given this diagnosis? And how likely would you be to involve your child in research?

Presentation Method:
Poster/Object

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Nufield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology

Supervisor/s:
Prof Dame Fiona Powrie, Dr Nick Ilott, Dr Rebecca Jefrey

Fellowship Funder:
Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research and MRC

Fellowship start date:
August 2024

Fellowship end date:
August 2027

The gut-liver axis in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)

PSC causes liver bile ducts to close up stopping the flow of bile into the gut. There is no efective treatment, but many PSC suferers get liver transplants, which is not a cure.

Patients with PSC often have IBD (usually ulcerative colitis) as well.

Using poo and blood samples from patients, we ask:

How the liver and the gut are interacting in PSC (the “gut-liver axis”).

What changes happen and when during the first 12 months after diagnosis? Can we improve understanding of PSC to design better treatments and tests for PSC?

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster, object

Host organisation:
University of Aberdeen

Department:
School of Biological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Ashish Malik, Prof Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Dr Marta Dondini

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
August 2021

Fellowship end date:
April 2025

Can microbial bioinoculants help restore soil organic carbon in degraded cropland soils?

Agricultural activities can cause soil degradation leading to soil organic carbon (SOC) loss that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Restoring SOC can therefore help mitigate climate change. The soil microbiome is responsible for transforming plant materials into SOC and can be recruited to help build healthy soils. To test this, we transplanted microbiomes from grassland and cropland soil into their sterile counterparts, from two UK sites. We examined microbiome assemblage and observed that after 7 months, a grassland- derived microbiome increased SOC in cropland soil at one site. This supports the use of soil microbial inoculants to benefit environmental restoration.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Department of Biology

Supervisor/s:
Prof Ashleigh Grifin

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
September 2023

Fellowship end date:
September 2026

Are old sperm a problem?

Sperm storage is widespread in nature. Male sperm storage is determined by periods of sexual abstinence and female sperm storage is a strategy to separate insemination from fertilisation. Despite advantages of storing sperm, prolonged storage can lead to deterioration. Such “old sperm” can have reduced viability and ability to fertilise eggs, with detrimental efects for the embryo. I will determine when old sperm is a problem for males, females and ofspring using a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis, spanning studies on human and non-human animals. I will highlight the environments most damaging for sperm and the evolutionary consequences of using old sperm.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Durham University

Department:
Department of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Dr Clare Mahon

Fellowship Funder:
Durham University

Fellowship start date:
August 2024

Fellowship end date:
August 2027

Utilisation of RAFT and ROMP as Crafting Tools in Synthesis of Bioresponsive Cartilage Proteoglycan Mimics

Arthritis is a widespread, limiting mobility joint disease, which accompanies by damage of protective cartilage in joints and changes in the joint fluid that plays an important role in joint health, acting like oil lubricating the moving parts of a machine. Proposed research seeks to modernize arthritis treatment by developing new materials which mimic natural lubricating properties and behaviour of joint fluid. The aim is for these compounds to respond to changes in their environment connected with arthritic flares, so that they release medicine to provide relief at the point it is needed by the body.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Warwick

Department:
Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Murray Grant

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
August 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Novel bioactive molecules of Trichoderma hamatum ΔhepA for eco-sustainable agriculture

Plant inoculation with an eco-friendly strain ofT. hamatum ΔhepA or its natural metabolites could induce active biological responses against plant pathogens and reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers in the UK’s agricultural and environmental systems. This ΔhepA mutant exhibits enhanced growth promotion in assays with lettuce, along with antifungal activity against the white mould pathogen. By combining comparative chromatography-mass spectrometry with in- vivo plant growth bioassays, I identified the cryptic natural metabolites responsible for the antimicrobial activity and plant growth promotion. Thank you so much to Daphne Jackson Trust, Warwick University and the BBSRC for funding my fellowship to running this important project.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
King’s College London

Department:
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science

Supervisor/s:
Prof Miraz K Rahman

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
April 2025

PROTAC (Proteolysis targeting chimeras) degradation of O-GlcNAcase / O-GlcNAc transferase as a novel therapeutic strategy

Many proteins that regulate critical functions within our body have specialized sugars attached to them. These sugar modifications are common and mainly take place at the surface and inside cells. Two proteins control the levels of this specialized sugar on proteins inside of cells. One protein adds these sugar units, and the other removes them. These sugar units on proteins inside cells are linked to various diseases, including diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. So, there is much interest in studying how these two proteins act in these diseases and whether they can be targeted with therapeutics for human benefit.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Roehampton

Department:
Centre for Integrated Research in Life and Health Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Lewis Halsey, University of Roehampton, Dr Kyle Elliott, McGill University

Fellowship Funder:
Funder: University of Roehampton and NERC

Fellowship start date:
March 2022

Fellowship end date:
March 2025

How elderly seabirds keep flying, diving, thriving when they should be retiring

We investigate the efects of ageing on the physiology, behaviour, and ecology of a long- lived seabird, black-legged kittiwakes, on Middleton Island, Alaska. Middleton provides a historical dataset of known-age banded birds, with records since 1995.

As deterioration in cardiac function is the ultimate cause of death in many animals, temporary surgically-implanted heart monitors allow us to examine changes in heart-rate and heart-rate variability with age. Over three field seasons, monitors were deployed on 110 known-age birds. This research will develop our understanding of how physiology, behaviour, and ecology change over lifetimes, with far-reaching implications from marine conservation to human ageing.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
University of Greenwich

Department:
Natural Resources Institute, Agriculture, Health & Environment Department

Supervisor/s:
Jeremy Haggar, Conor Walsh

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

Impact of Roots on the Carbon Balance of Cofee

Cofee is one of the most important crops in the world, but there are few scientific studies on cofee roots. This study, in agroforestry cofee systems in Costa Rica, focuses on root growth and how that is related to aboveground tree growth and soil properties in plantations where cofee is grown together with diferent shade trees. Incorporating fine roots in system carbon balance calculations will improve understanding and can help to identify sinks and sources of carbon in the system and potential ways to reduce system impact on climate change.

Presentation Method:
Object/Prerecorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Natural History Museum, London

Department:
Mollusca

Supervisor/s:
Dr Suzanne Williams

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society and NERC

Fellowship start date:
August 2023

Fellowship end date:
August 2026

The evolution of blue and green shell colour

Why have blue and green shells evolved rarely in bivalve molluscs? To investigate why this is the case, we must first understand the mechanism producing the colour – chemical pigments and / or structures able to interact with light to produce structural colours. Using this information together with knowledge of a species’ ecology (habitat type and depth), biogeography (global distribution in relation to temperature, depth, salinity, oxygen and nutrients) and evolutionary relationships between bivalve species, we can begin to look for patterns to understand the drivers of the evolution of shell colour.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Nottingham

Department:
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science

Supervisor/s:
Adam Blanchard

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
January 2023

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Developing analysis methods to better understand the heart symptoms in myotonic dystrophy patients

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic condition that causes a wide range of symptoms.

Patients can sufer from muscle weakness and wasting, heart rhythm problems and the inability to relax certain muscles after use. The condition is passed through family members and is caused by a change of the genetic sequence in the DNA. My project uses techniques to study datasets from patient heart samples and compare them to healthy individuals. My research aims to uncover the similarities and diferences between the samples to generate a clearer picture of what genetic changes underlie the heart conditions observed in DM patients.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
Keele University

Department:
Pharmacy & Bioengineering

Supervisor/s:
Professor Karina Wright, Dr Martin Frisher

Fellowship Funder:
Orthopaedic Research UK & MRC

Fellowship start date:
November 2023

Fellowship end date:
November 2026

Does knee cartilage repair surgery prevent arthritis or the need for a joint replacement?

In the UK, 1/5 over-45s have osteoarthritis, the knee being the most frequently afected joint. The cause of osteoarthritis is unknown. It develops when cartilage wears out. It’s treated with physiotherapy, painkillers, surgery, or as a last resort, a joint replacement. Ideally, knee surgeries in over-45s will slow osteoarthritis and delay or eliminate the need for joint replacement. We don’t know if this happens. To work out the true efect of knee surgeries I’m analysing health records from our hospital and linking them to national registries. I’m developing a tool to help surgeons find the surgery most likely to slow osteoarthritis, improving quality of life and reducing the need for knee replacements.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University of London

Department:
Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute

Supervisor/s:
Prof Li Chan, Prof Panos Deloukas

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Studying the Genetics of Obesity in Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome (DS) afects more than 40,000 people in the UK. Individuals with DS carry all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21 in their cells; this causes a wide range of health conditions, including obesity. We know that genetics is important in determining body weight, and in most people, this is caused by hundreds of small genetic diferences acting in combinations. Do these variations contribute to obesity in DS in the same way? Finding the answer will help to understand the similarity between common and DS obesity, and eventually improve our ability to predict and manage obesity in DS.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
The University of Glasgow

Department:
School of Infection & Immunity

Supervisor/s:
Prof James Brewer

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2024

Fellowship end date:
January 2027

Mimicking live germs with nanoparticles to develop better vaccines

Live germs tend to stimulate a stronger immune response compared to dead ones, but using live germs in vaccines can be a challenge. Making our vaccines live-like through nanoparticle technology may ofer the perfect blend of strong immune response and safety. Here, we introduce how a nature- inspired nanoparticle stimulates immunological efects that may ofer new opportunities in diferent vaccine applications

Presentation Method:
Laptop and Oral presentationr

Host organisation:
University of Glasgow

Department:
Public Health

Supervisor/s:
Prof Jill Pell, Prof Scott Nelson, Dr Michael Fleming

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
October 2023

Fellowship end date:
October 2026

Using electronic health records to understand long term impact of taking medications in pregnancy

Mental health disorders are increasingly common in pregnant women, as in the general population. Evidence suggests that use of psychotropic medication, such as antidepressants, during pregnancy has also greatly increased in recent years. For some of these drugs, the long-term efect on the child is unknown. This study uses unique datasets linking Scottish and Welsh maternity records with prescribing data, child health records, and education databases. This allows us to assess associations between specific medications and child health and educational outcomes. This research aims to provide much needed information for pregnant women and clinicians alike.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Cambridge

Department:
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Department of Pathology

Supervisor/s:
Professor Amanda Sferruzzi Perri, Professor Kathy Niakan, Professor Andrew Firth

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
October 2023

Fellowship end date:
September 2026

Not Just About Me & Human Viruses—- a tough journey with shimmering positiveness

There are 4 parts:

A film shows a typical day at the laboratories and “about me” from a remote village in China where nobody else had ever been to university, to university in Shanghai and Cambridge for my PhD, then to the Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship at the Laboratory of Molecule Biology before my research break.

A chalk board assists oral presentation about current work. A film shows human stem cells in culture. A poem (published) expresses my passion in a second language towards science research, aiming to encourage the return and pursuit.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Oxford

Department:
Wellcome Institute for Integrative Neuroimaging

Supervisor/s:
Karla Miller

Fellowship Funder:
Alzheimer’s Society

Fellowship start date:
March 2024

Fellowship end date:
March 2027

Difusion MRI to Detect Early Signs of Neurodegenerative Disease in the Brain’s Grey Matter

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are a critical public health problem. Their diagnosis and treatment would be transformed by a non-invasive way to detect microscopic damage to the brain’s grey matter. Standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can only show changes in large anatomical features, but difusion MRI (dMRI) is sensitive to microscopic tissue structure. Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear how to interpret dMRI data in grey matter. I’m conducting research to reveal the tissue features that influence difusion dynamics in cortical grey matter, in order to fully develop this diagnostic technology.

Presentation Method:
Prerecorded video/ laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Liverpool John Moores University

Department:
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr David Low

Fellowship Funder:
British Heart Foundation

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

Getting Under the Skin of the Menopausal Hot Flush

Menopausal hot flushes, experienced by ~80% of women are extreme thermoregulatory events, with the key symptoms occurring at the skin, namely, flushing/reddening and sweating. Hormone replacement therapy can alleviate hot flushes in some women, but few alternative treatments are available due to an incomplete understanding of the physiological mechanisms underpinning hot flushes, particularly in the skin. This research examines skin blood vessel and sweat gland function (responsiveness) and structure in pre- and postmenopausal women who do and do not experience hot flushes. The findings will increase our understanding of the causes of hot flushes and help to design efective treatments.

Presentation Method:
Poster

Host organisation:
Queen Mary University London

Department:
William Harvey Research Centre & Blizard Institute

Supervisor/s:
Dr Suzanne Eldridge Prof Francesco Dell’accio

Fellowship Funder:
The Kennedy Research Trust for Rheumatology Research and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2023

Fellowship end date:
May 2026

Novel treatment for obesity-induced osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of the cartilage surface of the joint that provides smooth motion. Patients sufer from pain, swelling, stifness, and dificulty in carrying out daily activities. There is no cure or prevention for the 10million suferers in the UK. Obesity is the most preventable pre-disposing factor of osteoarthritis. As well as the extra weight putting additional strain on joints, fat cells also release proteins causing inflammation. These two factors lead to the release of even more proteins and chemicals, exacerbating the problem further. My work investigates the potential of a new drug in reversing these changes.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Imperial College London

Department:
Surgery & Cancer

Supervisor/s:
Prof Charlotte Bevan, Prof Simak Ali

Fellowship Funder:
Imperial College London and MRC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2025

Finding ways to personalise targeted therapy for advanced breast and prostate cancer

Targeted cancer therapy is much less toxic than traditional chemotherapy that is used for advanced breast and prostate cancer. Unfortunately, cancer cells become resistant to target therapy eventually – I am finding multiple biomarkers that allow sensitivity to those drugs. We can use these to choose which patients will benefit most from these drugs and thereby reducing resistance/relapse. I am studying two cell signalling pathway, 1) mTOR pathway that controls cell growth and 2) DNA damage response pathway that controls cell death.

Presentation Method:
Pre-recorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Kent

Department:
Schools of Chemistry and Biosciences (Division of Natural Sciences)

Supervisor/s:
Professor Jennifer R. Hiscock and Professor Michelle D. Garrett

Fellowship Funder:
BBSRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
September 2024

Developing a Chameleonic Drug Delivery System to Prevent a Predicted Global Health Crises

The fight against drug resistance by superbugs and cancer, which medicines can no longer kill, demands solutions to overcome 10 of millions of deaths by 2050. This research investigates the development of a novel small molecule technology (SSAs), discovered at the University of Kent in 2019. The aims were to chemically change the structure of SSAs to produce new self-delivered drugs and combine SSAs with known and repurposed drug molecules. Designs focussed on specific cell targeting, and biological testing used clinically relevant bacteria and fatal brain cancer cells, to help determine their potential into the clinic.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
Centre for Inflammation Research

Supervisor/s:
Julia Dorin, Sara Brown

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Scotland

Fellowship start date:
November 2021

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Project DEFENSIN

An isolated scientist battles personal demons while striving to save humanity from a horrifying skin disease.

A small population of humanity is afected by an excruciating and debilitating inflammatory skin disease, designated ‘Hidradenitis suppurativa’. The diagnosis process is long and arduous, and treatments are limited and unreliable. Plagued by excruciating, pustulant, abscesses, the afected are losing hope. A lone researcher believes that a tiny inflammatory protein, code-named ‘Defensin’ could hold the key to understanding the disease. Struggling against her own challenges, both physical and mental, she races against time to test her hypothesis and unlock the secrets of the afliction.

Presentation Method:
Object/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Leeds

Department:
School of Physics and Astronomy

Supervisor/s:
Professor Stephen Evans

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
June 2023

Fellowship end date:
June 2026

Liquid Crystals as Biosensors

Recent research has been investigating the use of liquid crystals in biosensing applications.
What is a Liquid Crystal?
It is a phase between solids and liquids. Solids have order and do not move while liquids have no order and move. Liquid crystals are in between where they have order but still move.
Biological cells are covered with a fatty out layer, that acts as barrier to protect the cell from unwanted incomers. It has been shown that liquid crystal droplets can be coated with a fatty layer, thereby mimicking the biological cell. By exposing the liquid crystal droplets to toxins, we can measure a similar effect as to what would be experienced by a biological cell. In a normal cell the presence of toxins would damage the fatty layer, so by exposing the liquid crystal droplets to toxins, this would in turn remove the fatty layer. Liquid crystals are extremely sensitive to surfaces they are in contact with. This would intern switch liquid crystals orientation, and this could be detected by looking under a microscope or by squeezing the droplets. These techniques have the potential to be applied in a healthcare environment.

Presentation Method:
laptop presentation

Host organisation:
University of Reading

Department:
Dept of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Dr Paz Vaqueiro and Prof Anthony Powell

Fellowship Funder:
University of Reading and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Generating power from waste heat

With the increasing demand of energy around the globe there is a need of renewable technologies that can recover the waste heat and reduce the carbon footprints. Thermoelectric technology has huge potential to solve these issues as it can directly convert waste heat into useful power. However, major challenge is, a material should be good electrical conductor (metal) but also a bad conductor of heat (glass). This work aims to develop new cost-effective material using building block approach with alternating layers of different compositions that offers unique blend of properties which would make them a potential candidates for thermoelectric applications.

Presentation Method:
Pre-recorded video/laptop presentation

Host organisation:
Swansea University

Department:
Energy Safety Research Institute

Supervisor/s:
Dr Charles Dunnill and Professor Darren Oatley-Radcliffe

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Academy of Engineering

Fellowship start date:
January 2021

Fellowship end date:
December 2023

An animation of my hydrogen electrolyser

The electrolyser which I developed during my Fellowship has a design which is best communicated using a computer animation which I prepared using Scratch, a coding language developed for primary schools.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Cambridge

Department:
Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Supervisor/s:
Prof Carola-Bibiane Schönlieb

Fellowship Funder:
Alan Turing Institute

Fellowship start date:
September 2022

Fellowship end date:
March 2026

From cosmos to cells and back: tales of a multidisciplinary journey.

Research, while ultimately rewarding, demands hard work and perseverance. This is especially true in multidisciplinary fields, where ‘fitting in’ can be a challenge. In this talk, I will share my journey in interdisciplinary research—developing mathematical tools to advance clinical imaging techniques and how these tools have been adapted to detect and analyse astrophysical signals.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of GeoSciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Hugh Sinclair

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
December 2024

Mapping Evolving Himalayan Rivers Using Synthetic Aperture Radar: Insights into Sediment Build-Up and Flood Risks

This study uses satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to map elevation changes in rivers from the Himalayan Mountains into the Gangetic Plains. Focusing on gravel-rich river sections, sediment build-up rates of up to 20 millimeters per year near the mountains were identified, decreasing further downstream. In contrast, surrounding floodplain areas are sinking by about 15 millimeters per year. This groundbreaking research is the first to use SAR to monitor rivers during the dry winter season, providing crucial insights into river changes that could afect flood risks and river shifting in the region.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
Surrey University

Department:
Maths & Physics

Supervisor/s:
Dr Noelia Noel

Fellowship Funder:
STFC

Fellowship start date:
May 2022

Fellowship end date:
May 2025

BRIDGE – Bringing Light into the Darkness of Galaxy Evolution

Lambda CDM cosmology uses stellar components to predict the number of isolated dwarf galaxies in our local group, however this number is more than we currently observe. I use a high resolution simulation suite of dwarf galaxies called EDGE to show that in some star forming dwarf galaxies there are periods of time when stellar feedback depletes the HI gas enough to stop star formation. Hence arguing that HI gas should be included in these galaxy predictions. I model this relationship between star formation and HI gas to better predict the number of dwarf galaxies in our local group.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Portsmouth

Department:
School of the Environment and Life Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Dr Nick Pepin, Prof Richard Teeuw

Fellowship Funder:
NERC

Fellowship start date:
January 2023

Fellowship end date:
January 2026

Tracing vegetation changes on Mount Kiliminjrow: Insights on long term vegetation trends and its driving factors on the tallest Africa`s mountain

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, rising 5,895 meters above sea level in north-eastern Tanzania, has experienced notable land cover changes on its slopes over the last century, largely attributed to ongoing climate warming and extensive land use changes. This study is the first to examine vegetation change on Kilimanjaro from 2000 to 2022 using remote sensing datasets, particularly the Normalized Diference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The findings highlight systematic long-term change in vegetation health difer by elevation zone and by season.

Presentation Method:
Poster/Object

Host organisation:
University of York

Department:
Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Prof Paul H. Walton

Fellowship Funder:
University of York and Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
August 2022

Fellowship end date:
August 2025

Bio-inspired modelling of the copper- histidine brace active site of LPMOs – towards artificial copper oxidases

Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases (LPMOs) are at type of protein that contain a copper metal ion and are found throughout nature, produced by a wide range of diferent organisms. LPMOs and are key in breaking down biomass into sugars which are then processed into bioethanol. This makes them a key source of carbon-neutral energy. This research aims to produce a small molecule mimic of the copper centre found in the protein in order to gain further insight into the action of this class of proteins. If catalytically active, these species have potential industrial application to the production of bioethanol.

Presentation Method:
Laptop Presentation/Object

Host organisation:
University of Liverpool

Department:
Physics

Supervisor/s:
Tim Veal

Fellowship Funder:
EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
January 2022

Fellowship end date:
December 2024

Symmetry and strain engineering of correlated metallic oxides for topological and spintronic applications

The rapidly increasing energy demands of the power-hungry computing technologies require new breakthrough materials for energy- eficient logic switching in green computing.

Oxide heterostructure engineering has the potential to access emergent physical properties based on competing electronic correlation and spin orbit coupling interactions. Manipulating the stacking of atomic planes to capture particular crystal symmetries arising from the kagome and honeycomb nets ofers a route to robust conducting states which are protected by the mathematical shape of their electronic structure. Lattice engineering at the interface in these spin-orbit metals could enable enhanced charge-to-magnetism interconversion reducing the switching current in eficient spintronics devices.

Presentation Method:
Object

Host organisation:
University of Manchester

Department:
Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Alexander Romanov

Fellowship Funder:
Royal Society of Chemistry & University of Manchester

Fellowship start date:
March 2022

Fellowship end date:
February 2025

New boron-rich materials for light emitting applications

During my Fellowship project I have been designing, synthesising and characterising a variety of novel light-emitting materials that incorporate boron-rich carborane clusters. These materials can be used in a variety of applications including OLEDs – where the carborane units confer unique properties and stability, while also allowing the tuning of emission properties such as colour and eficiency. My presentation is a sample of some of the materials I have made and their photoluminescence across the visible spectrum.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Brunel University London

Department:
Institute of Energy Futures, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Supervisor/s:
Prof Savvas Tassou

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Academy of Engineering and EPSRC

Fellowship start date:
February 2021

Fellowship end date:
January 2024

Devising Demand Side Response Strategy for Supermarket Energy Management using Neural Networks

Demand Side Response (DSR) is one of the key strategies adopted by the National Grid UK in order to decarbonise the power system. The aim of DSR is to manage electricity consumption during peak times rather than generate more power to meet demand, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Supermarkets are commercial buildings which have a sizeable power demand in the form of the food refrigeration systems which account for around 50% of their total power consumption. But using refrigeration system to manage power demand is a challenge as product quality needs to be maintained at all times. This project investigated, using simulation, whether that challenge can be addressed.

Presentation Method:
Poster/ Image/ Alternative Poster

Host organisation:
University of Bath

Department:
Department of Mathematical Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Prof Jonathan Dawes

Fellowship Funder:
The Royal Society

Fellowship start date:
November 2022

Fellowship end date:
October 2025

The unconventional flow in the eye – and how to understand glaucoma treatment

In mechanical terms, the eye behaves as a pressurised bag of fluids. Pressure regulation is achieved by controlling the outflow of aqueous humour, which nourishes key tissues before leaving the eye via two routes: the conventional and unconventional outflows. In glaucoma, the conventional route becomes progressively blocked, meaning the unconventional route becomes more important. Our pioneering study has used complicated mathematical techniques in fluid dynamics and mass transport to develop the first theoretical model of the unconventional outflow. This model provides unique and essential insights into how certain glaucoma drugs work.

Presentation Method:
Poster

Host organisation:
University of Edinburgh

Department:
School of Chemistry

Supervisor/s:
Prof. Neil B. McKeown

Fellowship Funder:
Department of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellowship start date:
July 2024

Fellowship end date:
June 2027

Novel imidazole-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) for membrane applications

New polymer (plastics) that can improve the environmental sustainability of many important industrial processes on which society depends such as carbon capture from electricity generation involves the separation of carbon dioxide from other gases help to reduce the carbon emissions. Membranes made from these polymers can act like filters to separate one gas from another. To improve the eficiency of carbon capture, we aim to make a polymer that allows a large quantity of carbon dioxide to pass through it and selectively filtering out other gases so that the carbon dioxide can be collected pure and then prevented from being released into the atmosphere.

Presentation Method:
Oral Presentation

Host organisation:
Birkbeck University of London

Department:
School of Psychological Sciences

Supervisor/s:
Professor Matthew Longo

Fellowship Funder:
Medical Research Council

Fellowship start date:
December 2022

Fellowship end date:
November 2025

Visual Discomfort – what is it about the environment and individual that makes a visual experience aversive?

Specific images in our visual environment are reported to cause an aversive response in susceptible individuals. These images include i) regular geometric patterns such as stripes, ii) passages of text and iii) clusters of circles. The symptoms experienced by the viewer are varied, ranging from clinically overt cases such as epilepsy, to milder examples such as reading difficulties or feelings of disgust. It has been hypothesised that our visual system has evolved to process the environment of our ancestors and that these aversive reactions may be natural variation in the populations response to our current, alternative environment.