The Royal Society has awarded a Faraday Discovery Fellowship to Professor Kathy Niakan. The fellowships support outstanding mid-career research leaders in the UK.
Professor Niakan will investigate how human embryo cells develop into specialised cells and tissues at the time of implantation in the uterus. By uncovering the molecular mechanisms that guide the earliest stages of human development, the research aims to inform maternal and foetal health, pregnancy complications, developmental disorders, and stem cells and to develop safe and effective therapeutic interventions.
Selected from more than 280 initial applications, the new fellows will investigate fundamental questions ranging from how human embryo cells develop into specialised cells and tissues, revealing the blueprint of human development, to what happened in the moments after the Big Bang, helping to shed light on the secrets of the Universe's formation. Their research will also address pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss and improving the forecasting of natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions.
This flagship grant, supported through a £250m fund from the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, provides up to £8m over a 10-year period to allow exceptional researchers to pursue high-quality original research and develop world-leading talent in the UK.
The grants also aim to cultivate future scientific leaders by supporting mentoring and training opportunities for grant holders and their research groups.