News 2021

Regional variation in chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer across Scotland has reduced significantly over the past 15 years, according to a new study: December 2021

Professor Tim Aitman received the medal on behalf of the team for significant achievements in pioneering a way to mass population testing in an epidemic: December 2021

Understanding of canine melanoma could pave the way for personalised medicine and create biobank for drug screening: December 2021

Edinburgh clinicians contributed to a study that developed new AI-based predictor of response to cancer therapy: December 2021

Polymer composite with gold nanoparticles capable of localized drug production in the brain has been developed in a study led by our scientists: December 2021

A recent publication from Dr Kathy Evans’ research group in the journal Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology finds an association between the protein SORCS2 and double-strand breaks in neuronal DNA.

A team of researchers led by Professor Wendy Bickmore and Dr Shipra Bhatia have defined a new methodology which enables the activities of two regulatory sequences to be simultaneously visualised and compared in live developing zebrafish embryos: November 2021

Professor Tim Aitman has been appointed the Academy of Medical Sciences regional champion for Scotland

Edinburgh researchers are part of international team developing improved standards and practices for three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models: November 2021

In a study recently published in eLife, Dr Pleasantine Mill and colleagues discover that protein complex IFT plays essential roles in delivering cargos to the base of the cilia and in facilitating their entry: November 2021

Researchers and commercial partners agree licensing to advance work on treatment for life-threatening lung condition.

CRUK Edinburgh Centre investigators are delighted to be involved in new partnership between the University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian and DATA-CAN: November 2021

Apply now for our HGU 4 year studentship programme: Closing date: 7 January 2022

IGC PI working to develop new therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers is among the first recipients of funding from the $20 million beLAB1407, recently launched to advance life sciences innovation.

A collaborative study led by Tom Deegan and Joe Yeeles’ lab (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge) provides an answer to a longstanding question in this field: October 2021

Esme Bullock, one of our PhD Students, has been awarded a fellowship to advance her breast cancer research project: October 2021

A study has found that human cells and tissues can accumulate many more mutations than are normally present, without the body showing the features associated with ageing: October 2021

Mice with mutations in the gene ZNF469 show reduced corneal thickness and strength: September 2021

Upon his retirement, Ian Jackson has been presented the title of Emeritus Professor in recognition of distinguished academic service at the University of Edinburgh: September 2021

University of Edinburgh Professors Nick Gilbert (MRC Human Genetics Unit) and Davide Marenduzzo (School of Physics and Astronomy) will investigate how chromatin structure affects transcription: September 2021

Nuvectis Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative precision medicines, has licensed exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize a novel SRC/YES1 inhibitor discovered at the CRUK Edinburgh Centre: September 2021

DNA methylation patterns linked to smoking explain ten times more variance than self-reported data: September 2021

Congratulations to Andy Badrock who has recently been awarded support from the Hastie Career Advancement Fund and to the recipients of this year’s Early Career Awards: September 2021

Yanick Crow's team, working with clinical colleagues worldwide, and together with Ashish Dhir (CGEM, IGC) and Tim Wai (institute Pasteur), have identified mutations in ATAD3A as a novel cause of interferon induction: August 2021

Prof Sara Brown’s recent collaboration with artist Beverley Hood appeared in an Edinburgh Science festival exhibition in Summerhall. Sara and Beverley launched the exhibition with a recorded interview discussing their work.

Research, including Generation Scotland volunteer data, identifies nearly 300 variations in genes that can affect reproductive lifespan in women

KEYNOTE-564 clinical study, with important contributions from the UK that were led from Edinburgh, shows that adjuvant immunotherapy following surgery improves disease-free survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma: August 2021

Dr Jonine Figueroa and international colleagues report on the impact of the Covid-19 on breast cancer early detection and screening providing important information to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on early diagnosis and treatment.

Lauranne Derikx, advanced clinical research fellow in the Edinburgh Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) unit and member of Professor Charlie Lees research group, will present this Friday (9 July) baseline data of the PREdiCCt study on the ECCO (European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation) 2021 congress. Her abstract shows that fatigue is highly prevalent in IBD and significantly impacts on all domains of quality of life. July 21.

Edinburgh researchers used unique dataset that combines hormone receptor expression patterns with matched genomic characterisation to identify opportunities for patient stratification in endometrioid ovarian carcinoma: June 2021

Professor Sara Brown has recently moved from Dundee to become part of the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine.

A new Doctoral Training Centre led by Prof Richard Chin (Child Life and Health) and Prof Cathy Abbott (Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine) has been funded by the charity Epilepsy Research UK. June 21.

ASCUS Art and Science Collaboration brings the two fields together to produce art work inspired by scientific research. May 21

A recent publication in the journal Brain Communications from Riccardo Marioni’s group compares DNA methylation patterns seen in blood as predictors of lifestyle traits with epigenetic changes in brain tissue. May 21

Researchers at the MRC Human Genetics Unit found that a gene mutation associated with a CdLS like syndrome results in changes to DNA damage signalling and repair: May 2021

All at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer were saddened to learn of the untimely death of our colleague Dr Andy Sims: May 2021

Study with important contributions from Edinburgh investigators finds that less chemotherapy is noninferior to more in frail and elderly patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer: May 2021

A £1.8 million award from UK Research and Innovation will enable the TestEd team to provide fast and cost-effective twice weekly COVID-19 testing across the University.

A recent publication in Science Immunology from Dr Kenneth Baillie, including work from Prof Yanick Crow and Prof David Hunt, identifies inflammatory mediators implicated in COVID-19 severity. April 21

Dr Riccardo Marioni wins Alzheimer’s Society award to study genetic and proteomic predictors of Alzheimer's disease. April 21

Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre scientists identify RAC1B as an important mediator of colorectal tumourigenesis and a potential target for enhancing the efficacy of EGFR inhibitor treatment: April 2021

Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre researchers uncover mechanisms underlying immune evasion in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM): April 2021

A spinout from the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine targets the early diagnosis of difficult-to-detect cancers with a new blood-based biopsy device.

From 1 April the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) will go by a new name, the Institute of Genetics and Cancer (IGC): April 2021

On 2 March, people living with XLH, a rare genetic bone disease, as well as scientists, staff and students from across the Institute and wider university heard about exciting new developments in research into XLH from Professor Stuart Ralston and Ryan Frew, who has XLH, described how his life has been transformed by a new treatment: March 2021

Prof Liz Patton of the MRC Human Genetic Unit and CRUK Edinburgh Centre and Prof Jim Wilson, MRC Human Genetic Unit Affiliate, have been select as Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: March 2021

UK Research and Innovation and the Medical Research Council’s £10 million Innovation Scholarships initiatives have gone to secondments and training programmes in health and bioscience, including a Cross-College project led by Alison Meynert: March 2021

Research from Dr Kathy Evans’ group (first author Dr Rosie Walker) identifies epigenetic differences between carriers of the APOE ε4 and APOE ε2 alleles, variants associated with an increased and decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. Jan 21.

A study led by CRUK Edinburgh Centre scientists provides the first demonstration that Focal Adhesion Kinase controls transcription via chromatin accessibility: January 2021

Professor Wendy Bickmore, Director of the MRC Human Genetics Unit, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of her services to biomedical sciences and to women in science: January 2021

A publication in Nature Genetics from Prof Yanick Crow’s laboratory has identified two new genes involved in the Mendelian inflammatory disorder Aicardi-Goutières syndrome.

A cross-Institute research team led by Martin Reijns have developed a multiplex assay with human quality control probe, performing as well as commercial tests but at a tenth of the cost: December 2020

Edinburgh researchers collaborating in the global GenOMICC consortium identify potential treatments for Covid-19 after the discovery of five genes associated with the most severe form of the disease: December 2020

The Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are joining forces to train young doctors in research relevant to the causes and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. The ambitious new project which will see the institutions combine their global excellence in biomedical research and teaching to advance understanding of musculoskeletal diseases.