Prestigious awards from University and BBSRC nurture outstanding scientists and pioneering projects. Scientists are being supported in their high-calibre research with a series of Fellowship awards. Dr Laura Glendinning, Dr James Glover and Dr Konrad Rawlik have been awarded Chancellor’s Fellowships from the University of Edinburgh, while Dr Louise Stephen and Dr Pieter Steketee are recipients of Discovery Fellowships from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Dr Kate Sutton, Dr Lu Lu, Dr Ivan Pocrnic and Dr Tim Regan have been named Career Track Fellows at the Roslin Institute. Chancellor’s Fellowships support outstanding scientists to develop their work over five years. They are aimed at fostering cutting-edge interdisciplinary research carried out by the fellows, who are recruited as a cohort from across the University and supported through mentoring, peer support and training opportunities. Dr Glendinning’s fellowship will investigate how the gastrointestinal microorganisms of avian species – chickens and red grouse – ferment dietary fibre, to generate knowledge that can improve poultry production sustainability, and inform wildlife conservation efforts. Dr Glover’s research will examine aspects of the formation of embryonic patterns during vertebrate development, a process essential for the correct function of tissues and organs. Dr Rawlik’s fellowship will be based at the Centre for Inflammation Research, identifying drug targets of relevance to specific individuals and stages of disease. He hopes to maintain links with Roslin and to apply his methods across both human and animal populations. Research Council awards BBSRC Discovery Fellowships are offered to individuals poised to become not only outstanding researchers, but outstanding leaders in their particular field. To be successfully named as a Discovery Fellow, prospective candidates must demonstrate that they are undertaking ground-breaking science that not only aligns with BBSRC’s strategic priorities, but that also has the potential to make real impact. Dr Steketee’s Discovery Fellowship will support his research into parasites that affect livestock, while Dr Stephens will spend her fellowship seeking to understanding biomineralisation in the fish dermal skeleton, and its role in health and development. Both are each awarded grants of up to £400,000 out of total fund of £8.9 million and are among only 22 newly named Discovery Fellows across the UK. Roslin career fellowships Career Track Fellowship appointments were made following a rigorous appointment process. Dr Sutton’s fellowship will examine the immunobiology of chicken dendritic cells to understand their role in shaping the immune responses to vaccination and natural infection. Dr Lu’s research will concentrate on tracking and forecasting the emergence and spread patterns of zoonotic pathogens and important drivers under the One Health framework. Dr Pocrnic will focus on developing innovative crossbreeding methods and tools that can be quickly implemented to address climate change challenges, to enhance the current livestock breeding strategies. Dr Regan will address fundamental knowledge gaps in mussel immunology to reveal how stress affects their ability to detect and clear infection, and aims build a research group with a global reputation in tackling critical disease challenges facing invertebrate aquaculture expansion. We are delighted to welcome this latest cohort of Chancellor’s Fellows, who join over 450 Fellows we have recruited through this scheme over the past decade. Their transformative projects will help us deliver our ambitious goals for research and impact in the areas of future health and care, tackling the environmental crisis, and harnessing data, digital and AI (Artificial Intelligence) for social and economic benefit. Professor Christina BoswellVice-Principal Innovation and Enterprise, University of Edinburgh BBSRC’s Discovery Fellowship programme is well established and renowned for not only supporting outstanding science, but for supporting and developing our future leaders. The 22 individuals named as BBSRC’s latest Discovery Fellows demonstrated their aptitude to deliver outstanding science as well as their capability and capacity as future bioscience leaders. We look forward to tracking their progress and success as they develop their skills, abilities and experiences for the wider benefit of UK bioscience. Dr David McAllisterDirector of Talent, Inclusion and Funding Delivery at BBSRC ** The Roslin Institute receives strategic investment funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and it is part of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. ** Related links Chancellor's Fellowships BBSRC Discovery Fellowships Roslin fellowship opportunities
