School of Biomedical Sciences

newsletter

Number 51

March 2003

Awards/Funding
Lopa Leach and Professor Oliver Jensen (Mathematics) have received an MRC Discipline Hopping award of 50K to for a one-year project entitled Modelling flow and growth in the human placenta. John Mayer has been awarded a supplement of 26,446 by the Alzheimer Research Trust (ART) to buy tissue culture equipment for his Programme Grant. Siobhan Loughna has been awarded 9,956 by the Royal Society for a project entitled Ang1/TIE in Vascular Development. Vera Ralevic and Billy Dunn have been awarded a research grant of 7,114 by the Royal Society.
Epidemiology, Harvard Medical School. Robin won the prize for the work he has been doing with Lopa Leach and Mr Alex Foss. Robin was, until the end of last year, a Wellcome Trust Training Fellow in the School, and is now registered for an MD. Robins research focuses on age-related macula degeneration.

MRC Advisory Board

Tim Bates is to become a member of the MRC Advisory Board with effect from 1st July 2003. The MAB is a key group of about 400 people chosen for the scientific expertise that they can bring to bear to help MRC with key aspects of its work.

Congratulations!

Marshall Commission Scholarship
Professor John Mayer Anybody remember the second world war!? The Marshall Plan was a US lead initiative to rebuild Europe after the second world war. A minor part of this operation was Marshall Commission Scholarships to enable Europeans to go to the USA and vice versa which still exists today. Mark D'Agnostino will join Professor. Mayer's Group from September 2003 to study for a PhD. Mark studied at the University of Massachusetts and is temporarily working in a Biotechnology company in Boston. Pro-Vice Chancellor Douglas Tallack (American Studies) sits on interview panels for the Marshall Commission. He says that Marshall students only go to the golden triangle to
Robin Hamilton was presented with the David Meyer Prize for Basic Science at the Nottingham Eye Symposium on the 31st January 2003. The prize was presented by Professor Larry Denoso MD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and
study and that we should be very pleased that Mark wants to study Neuroscience here with John Mayer. He will use transgenesis to manipulate the ubiquitin proteasome pathway in the CNS to recapitulate molecular neuropathological features of chronic neurodegeneration.

Technical Staff Training

Mandy Losinski There are still places available on the previously advertised Higher Education Staff Development Agency courses. This list includes: Safe Working with Laser Equipment, Legal Aspects of Genetic Manipulation, Computer Support for Technical Staff and Safe Use of Laboratory Gases. Contact me for more information. Lunchtime training Following the success of the recent self-defence course, further lunchtime training/ activity sessions are planned. These will be open to all members of the School and will cover a variety of different (not necessarily work-related) topics. Suggestions for these events so far include yoga, hypnosis, and another self-defence session. If there is anything you would like to see included in the programme please let me know. All suggestions will be considered!

Support Staff Away Day

Mandy Losinski
The support staff away day, which is to include staff from Pharmaceutical Sciences, is confirmed for Thursday 19th June. This event is to be held at the Walesby Forest Scout Centre in north Nottinghamshire. The programme of outdoor, team-based activities will include: archery, orienteering, rafting, crazy golf and climbing and traversing. Although it is quite an active programme, there will be something for everyone and those who wish to opt out of certain activities are free to do so. In order to keep costs down we are hoping enough people will be willing to car-share. Please make a note of the date and let me know as soon as possible if you are not able to attend.

Staff Update

Newcomers
Ricardo Governo, a postdoctoral researcher, starts on 3rd March working with Vicky Chapman, Charles Marsden and Peter Morris (Magnetic Resonance Centre) on a project funded by Pfizer. This project will use fMRI to study CNS responses to peripheral noxious stimulation and the effects of drug treatment on these responses. Dr Nooshin Rezvani (Khosrow's sister), who has just finished the internship following her medical degree in Iran, has come to do a PhD with John Mayer using transgenesis to study the ubiquitin-chaperone systems in the CNS to study neurodevelopment, neuronal homeostasis and neuroodegeneration. She has been awarded a prestigious University of Nottingham Overseas Research

PRISM Tutorial

Sparrow Suite (C Floor)

2pm 4pm 5 March 2003 Steve Alexander is running this tutorial for postgrads. Places are limited to twelve but, if there is further interest from postgrads and/or other members of the School, Steve will be happy to hold another tutorial around Easter.
Studentship by the International Office (only seven in the whole University per annum). Anny Devoy, who obtained a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree (1st) in Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. is the recipient of the Charles Tandy Memorial Scholarship (a bequest) - this is the first Research Studentship from the Neuroscience Support Group at the Queen's Medical Centre (NSG@QMC) which supports research into chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Anny, working with John Mayer, will use transgenesis to study a HECT domain ubiquitin protein ligase, called KIAA0322 which has a C2 phospholipid binding domain and controls membrane protein ubiquitylation. The study will look at effects of deletion of the gene in the CNS on neurodevelopment, neuronal homeostasis and neurodegeneration.
Biology, University of London. Hosted by Dr Siobhan Loughna. Wednesday 26th March at 4.30pm in LT3 A neurotrophic hypothesis of depression by Professor Ronald Duman, Psychiatry/ Pharmacology, Yale University. Hosted by Professor Dave Kendall. Professor Duman's lecture will be followed by the Annual Dinner of the Nottingham branch of the British Neuroscience Association/ Institute of Neuroscience. This will be held at the Man Ho, Pelham Street (just off Market Square) in Nottingham: 7.30pm for 8 pm. Cost 16 per head (subsidised to 10 per head for undergraduate and postgraduate students). The maximum capacity is 80, so cheques made out to "University of Nottingham" should be sent to Dr Fran Ebling, School of Biomedical Sciences, as soon as possible, and by Wednesday 12 March at the latest.

Changes

Anne Webber, following a successful interview, was appointed to a permanent post as Lab Manager/Senior Molecular Biology Technician in ICS with effect from 1st January

Invited Talk

12 noon Monday 10 March 2003 in E1

Leavers

Dr Gernot Desoye
Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria The human placenta in diabetes a personal view Hosted by Dr Lopa Leach
Jane Mason left on 7 February Kay Anderton is leaving on 17th March Mee Young Ahn (ICS), Rachel Budworth, Neil Easton, Alison Hammond and Paul Roberts are leaving on 31st March.

School Seminar Programme

Wednesday 5th March at 4.30pm in LT3 Translational control of meiotic progression Dr Raul Mendez de la Iglesia, Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona. Hosted by Dr Cornelia De Moor. Wednesday 12th March at 4.30pm in LT3 Metabolic flexibility - a new concept relating to insulin sensitivity by Professor Keith Frayn, Oxford Lipid Metabolism Group, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford University. Hosted by Dr Andy Bennett. Wednesday 19th March at 4.30pm in LT3 Imprinted genes, Silver Russell syndrome and growth restriction by Dr Gudrun Moore, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental

Cell and Molecular Biology Group Seminars
Friday 28th March at 4pm in E1 : Dr Peter Jones and Dr Jane Hewitt (Genetics) will be giving seminars - titles to be announced.
Neuroscience & Pharmacology Journal Club Talks
Thursdays at 4.30pm in EMarch 27 March Saoirse O'Sullivan: tba Li Zhang : tba Misha Kalinichev (GSK): Maternal Separation
The Centre for Integrated Systems Biology and Medicine (CISBM) Informal Seminars
The Centre will be running a series of informal seminars on alternate Mondays in E1 (details below), starting at 4pm. The seminars are open to everyone, including undergraduate and postgraduate students. Seminar leaders and dates of seminar (personnel, but not dates, may change due to availability). Andy Bennett/Mike Billett 10th March Lopa Leach/Siobhan Loughna - 24th March Billy Dunn/Vince Wilson 7th April Bruce Middleton/David White - 28th April Rob Layfield/Simon Jones 12th May Terry Mayhew/Lopa Leach 9th June Paul Greenhaff/Tim Constantin - 23rd June Ian Macdonald/Moira Taylor 7th July Vera Ralevic/Michael Randall 21st July Kostas Tsintzas/Paul Greenhaff tba

New telephone extension?

If your telephone extension number has been changed, could you please notify Hazel in order to ensure that School records are kept up to date. Thank you. hazel.binks@nottingham.ac.uk

Wanted !

Rich Evans is trying to acquire the following two items:
YAMAHA PSS790 or PSS 795 Musical Keyboard - to buy or loan - the Keyboard is roughly 8 to 10 years old.

Reminder!

External Photocopying/Printing Jobs Deadlines/Turnaround Time
It is vital that sufficient time is allowed for any large photocopying jobs that have to be undertaken externally by OC. Any such jobs should reach Kate in Reception (E51) by midday on either a Monday for return on Thursday of the same week, or Wednesday for return the following Tuesday. In the event of insufficient notice, the responsibility for completing jobs must rest with the member of staff concerned.
Commodore AMIGA A3000 or A4000 to buy - roughly 10 years old. Contact richard.evans@nottingham.ac.uk
Need to make a presentation but not sure what to do?
Contact Ivan Harriman tel; 43567
IT Photographic & Illustration Services

Mail Pigeon Holes

Please, please check mail pigeon holes. If left longer than two weeks any junk mail will either be returned to sender or destroyed.
NEXT ISSUE Please let Hazel have any items you wish to appear in the April issue preferably before, but not later than, Wednesday 26th March. Thank you. You can find all of the above information, and more, on our website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/biomedsci