News and Announcements
![[image]](/images/nobelprizewinner.jpg)
Futures
in Reproduction Conference - Celebrating the award of the Nobel Prize for Physiology
or Medicine to
Professor Sir Robert Edwards.
Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that capture glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up and convey the excitement of cutting-edge science in areas that range from beetle eyes to killer T-cells, from nano-wires to fish skeletons (a University Research News story 26/Jan/2012).
The Human Anatomy Revision course will run from 2nd April to 6th April 2012.
Many congratulations to Roger Hardie who has been awarded the 2012 Rank Prize for Optoelectronics.
![[image]](/images/symposium.png)
2011
Graduate Students' Symposium photo gallery is available on-line.
Many congratulations to Christine Holt who has won the 2011 Remedios Cara Almela Prize for Developmental Neurobiology.
The Edwards-Steptoe Research Trust
This Trust Fund was established by Bob and Patrick in 1973 with donations from patients wishing to support research into the development of IVF technologies. Read more...
Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre Awarded £1M by Wolfson Foundation
The awarding
of a £1 million grant by the Wolfson Foundation has enabled the creation of
the Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre (CAIC). The new centre will
draw on the University’s widespread strengths in advanced imaging, bringing
together its many imaging institutes, departments and external partners (including
Cancer Research UK) to form a pioneering centre for the translation of the
latest scientific imaging techniques and computer algorithms into innovative
imaging solutions for the broader biomedical community. Read more...
![[image]](/images/RE.png)
The
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience is thrilled to learn
that Bob Edwards has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology.
He worked in the Department from 1963 to 1990, becoming Professor of Human
Reproduction in 1985. Bill Harris, the current Head of Department, comments
as follows. 'We are absolutely delighted that the pioneering work on the
basic cell biology of mammalian fertilization done by Bob Edwards (in collaboration
with Patrick Steptoe) when he was in our Department has been duly recognized
by the Nobel Committee. This is a perfect example of how basic science can
have an enormous, beneficial impact upon modern medicine. Louise Brown and
millions of other happy, healthy and thriving human beings all owe their
very
existence to the remarkable breakthrough achieved by Bob'.
Professor Martin Johnson gave the lecture he delivered in Stockholm on 7th December 2010 in honour of Professor Edwards' Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in IVF. See also News and Events and 40 Years of IVF
![[image]](/images/ucam_news_cb.png)
Hard-to-find
fish reveals shared developmental toolbox of evolution (a University Research News story 11/Jan/2011)
I am delighted to announce that Richard Dyball has just been awarded the 2010 Symington Prize from the Anatomical Society. The prize was founded in 1920 by the Symington Memorial Committee of the Queen's University, Belfast in commemoration of Professor Johnson Symington, who occupied the Chair of Anatomy in that University. The prize is awarded for contributions to the advancement of Anatomy, especially anatomical education and consists of a 3 year bursary for research and teaching or career development. Congratulations Richard. - Bill Harris
Simón Bolívar Professor appointed: Professor Fabián Michelangeli, from the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), has taken up the Simón Bolívar Chair at the Centre of Latin American Studies. During his Professorship, Fabián Michelangeli will have links with the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, and with Robinson College. Read more...
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It was a proud day for the Department on July 15th, 2010 when four or its present
academic staff members and one of its former academic staff members were admitted
as fellows of the Royal Society. In this picture from left to right,
Andrea Brand (inducted FRS), Wolf Reik (inducted
FRS), Bill Harris (HoD), Christine Holt (inducted FRS), Roger Hardie (inducted
FRS), Michael Hastings (inducted FRS).
RAE 2008 RESULTS: PDN, with the
departments of Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Plant Sciences,
and Zoology put in a joint submission to the
RAE 2008 under Unit of Assessment 14 (UoA14).
The objective was to maximise HEFCE income
by including as many Category A staff as
possible. We submitted 216, which is by far the
largest number of staff in biology submitted by any institution.
While other institutions
may have been more selective, to create
a higher average ranking,
we
sought to give a true reflection of all the work that is done here,
with >97%
of eligible staff being submitted.
When the average ranking is multiplied by the numbers of category A
submitted, Cambridge ranks 1st by a long margin with a score of 566.
Edinburgh was second with 325. Oxford came third with three separated
submissions to UoA14, which when combined give a total score of 322.
The corresponding figures for the numbers of of category A staff x Scores
for 4* (or 4*+3*) pieces of work again puts Cambridge in a commanding
lead in UoA14.
Please see the following, from Nature,
which nicely highlights the strength of Cambridge Biological Sciences.
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081231/full/457013a.html
Roger Tsien awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 'WONDERFUL NEWS! Many of you know by now that Roger Tsien, who was a PhD student in here and received his degree in Physiology in 1977 and then went on to be a research fellow in Chemistry and a junior fellow at Caius, has just won a Nobel Prize. When he was here, he worked with Tim Rink and developed the first fluorescent indicators that could be used to monitor calcium levels inside cells optically. Later he went on to develop a whole variety of optical sensors and including various GFP and protein based molecules that could be expressed by transgenic or transfected cells. A fantastic and much deserved award for someone who did so much to allow us to see Cellular Physiology in action.' - Bill Harris
The official launch of the new Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.