Biomedical Sciences

2017

Archived news from 2017.

Alumnus honoured at major US science awards

Dr Alan Healy
Dr Alan Healy (Biomedical Science 2011) has been named as an honouree at the 2017 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists, held by the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences.

Spinal column: let’s look on the bright side

Melanie Reid, an award winning journalist, writes about her visit to our third year Medical Sciences students, to talk about her experiences as a tetraplegic after a riding accident.

Nerve cell findings may aid understanding of movement disorders

Fresh insights into the links between nerve and muscle cells could transform our understanding of the human nervous system and conditions relating to impaired movement.

Brain study sheds light on how dementia spreads

Insights into how a key chemical disrupts brain cells in a common type of dementia have been revealed by scientists.

SHAAP celebrates successful Supreme Court MUP decision

The Scottish medical professions are celebrating today’s decision by the UK Supreme Court which clears the way for the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 early next year, which sets a minimum unit price of 50 pence per unit for alcohol.

Anatomy in Art Exhibition

Anatomy@Edinburgh are holding their first 'Anatomy in Art' exhibition featuring artwork by Edinburgh College of Art undergraduate students.

Skull study Reveals Origin of Canary Island's Aboriginal People

A collection of Guanche skulls displayed in the University's Anatomical Museum
Aboriginal people who lived on the Canary Islands before European colonisation originated from North Africa, a DNA study has found.

Success at World Canoeing Championships for UG student Eilidh Gibson

Eilidh Gibson canoeing in her individual race at the World Championships 2017
Congratulations to Eilidh Gibson, a 4th year Biomedical Sciences student, who was part of Team GB C1 Team who took home gold, and was also fourth in the individual races at the Championships.

New insights into the life and death of motor neurons

cropped image of a Cell reports cover
A new study from the Gillingwater lab shows that a key protein involved in Spinal Muscular Atrophy plays an important role in regulating the generation of new proteins in neurons.

$1bn Chinese biomedical campus opens

Biomedical Sciences students
The partnership with Zhejiang University is the first of its type for the University and for China.

Jet lag drug may ease chemotherapy symptoms

patients receiving treatment
A new study suggests a commonly used jet lag drug could ease painful side effects of chemotherapy.

Anatomy@Edinbugh at Terrific Scientific

Anatomy@Edinburgh joined colleagues from the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine on Tuesday 15th August for Terrific Scientific: The Human Body with BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals.

Forensic team reveals killer’s face

Face  of John Howison
The face of a 19th century killer has been recreated using forensic techniques and is on display in a new exhibition.

Fish reveal clues to healing spinal cord injuries

Photograph of a zebrafish
Fresh insights into how zebrafish repair their nerve connections could hold clues to new therapies for people with spinal cord injuries.

New drug treatment eases Fragile X symptoms

Confocal image of the hippocampus in mice
Scientists have discovered how the brain can self-correct disruptions in processing, pointing the way towards possible new treatments for autism and intellectual disability.

First Learning and Teaching Forum a success

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The Biomedical Sciences Learning and Teaching Forum 2017 was held on the 21st of June in the Anatomy Lecture Theatre at the Biomedical Teaching Organisation.

Universities family visit day at DIPM

Image of two childrens hands twisting different coloured wires together
The Division of Infection & Pathway Medicine (DIPM) welcomed 20 visitors, all families with children, to its lab at the Chancellor’s Building at Little France on Saturday 24th June 2017.

Overactive scavenger cells contribute to neurodegeneration

Close up of brain scan highlighted in multi colours
Dr. Chris Henstridge and Dr. Tara Spires-Jones (Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems) have published new findings which suggest overactive scavenger cells in the brain may contribute to neurodegeneration.

Honours project selected for BORS 17

Congratulations to Robbie Miller, an intercalating medical student, who has been selected to present his Physiology Honours project at the British Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in September.

Investigating the ageing brain

Tara Spires-Jones
We talk to Dr Tara Spires-Jones, Chancellor’s Fellow and interim Director of the Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems. Her research group studies brain changes in ageing and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's.

Grant success for motor neurone therapies

Motor Neurone Disease Scotland logo
Congratulations to Professor Tom Gillingwater on his grant success from MND Scotland for developing new therapies to protect motor neurones against the many forms of Motor Neurone Disease.

Prof David Lyons talks about MS research

Prof David Lyons in his lab
Prof David Lyons has produced a short video with the University about the quest to find therapies to repair nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis.

Diabetes drug may help symptoms of autism associated condition

Charles Bell's sketch - The anatomy of the brain
New research shows that a widely used diabetes medication could help with a common inherited form of autism.

Universities Family Visit day at the DiPM

Children taking part in an activity with an Edinburgh University volunteer
The Division of Infection & Pathway Medicine (DIPM) at the University of Edinburgh will welcome up to 40 attendees to visit the Chancellor's Building and the DIPM labs on Saturday 24th June 2017.

Dr Debbie Shaw awarded Senior Fellowship of the HEA

Logo of the Higher Education Academy
We are delighted to announce that Dr Debbie Shaw has been awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Dementia experts join £250m initiative to combat disease

Brain scan
Dementia researchers across the UK are joining forces to find new ways of tackling the condition.

Impact Award 2017 win for Biomedical Sciences

Student leaders with the Impact award 2017
Academic Families, Biomedical Sciences' peer support group, has won the Impact Award for Best Peer Support Group for 2017.

Academic Families shortlisted for Impact Award

Academic Families leaders at EUSA Impact Awards
Biomedical Sciences has been shortlisted for an Impact Award in the category of Best Peer Support Group for the Academic Families programme.

Professor Sue Welburn appointed as new Executive Dean of the ZJU Institute

Inspiring women
Professor Welburn's appointment was formally announced on 14th March 2017 at a ceremony at the International campus of Zhejiang University in Haining, China.

Honours student project leads to publication

Students working in the lab
Congratulations to Honours student Harry Newmark, whose project has been published as a Hypothesis and Theory paper in Frontiers in Immunology.

New Longitude Prize Advisory Panel member

Congratulation to Dr Till Bachmann, Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, who has been appointed to the Longitude Prize Advisory Panel.

Funding boost for autism research

Image of a brain cell
The Simons Foundation has pledged £20 million for pioneering studies into the biological mechanisms that underpin changes in brain development associated with autism.

Anatomy@Edinburgh host Science Saturday at the Museum

Anatomy student volunteers working with children at the Science Saturday at the Museum
The anatomy team were joined by almost 100 of our wonderful students on Saturday 18 February to deliver an exciting afternoon of anatomy-themed activities at the National Museum of Scotland.

Students showcase global fight against superbug threat

The participants of the AMR DxC winter school
Students team up with leading health experts to host a public event highlighting the risks posed by antibiotic resistance.

New zebrafish model sheds light on glioblastoma tumours

microscope image of a zebrafish brain
Congratulations to the Sieger lab on publishing their study on a new zebrafish microglia-glioblastoma model, which uncovered new findings on the complex interactions between microglia and glioblastoma cells.

£1.1m study could pave way for therapies to repair spinal cord

swimming zebrafish
Congratulations to Prof Catherina Becker and her lab who, as part of a European team, have been awarded £1.1 million to investigate how zebrafish are able to repair and replace damaged nerve cells.

Cass Li and the art of origami in public engagement

Origami plasmid segments by Cass Li
In the first of our series focusing on public engagement by the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, Cass Li talks about how she uses origami to help students to understand plasmids.