Collaborations win knowledge exchange accolades
Edinburgh staff have picked up awards for outstanding teamwork at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
The two awards – the most for a single institution – went to a Roslin Institute partnership and to Dr Andrea Taylor, Head of Business Development at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
Powerful poultry partnership
A team of researchers at the Roslin Institute, and industry partner Cobb-Vantress, a global poultry genetics business, were awarded the Powerful Partnership Award.
Since 2013 the partnership has focused on ensuring a sustainable global poultry industry in terms of animal welfare, disease resistance, food security and preserving biodiversity.
The partnership’s outputs include patented technologies, new insights into the chicken genome, production of genome-edited surrogate birds that can lay eggs of rare breeds, and finding gene markers relevant to diseases such as avian flu.
Bringing together Roslin’s world-class scientific research with one of the world’s leading businesses in poultry genetics has enabled significant insights to support health, wellbeing and diversity of animals in one of the most important livestock sectors.
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
MVM’s Head of Business Development, Dr Andrea Taylor, was recognised at the event with the Knowledge Exchange Hero award.
Commercialisation at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine has grown rapidly under Dr Taylor’s leadership.
Five new therapeutics spinout companies have been created over the past 18 months, aiming to tackle some of medicine’s biggest challenges.
Funding awards for research collaborations between the University and industrial partners have also reached new highs.
Dr Taylor has championed a collaborative approach between the College and Edinburgh Innovations which has led to a greater culture of innovation, with early career researchers supported through new programmes of training and development and significant increase in industry outreach.
It’s an honour to accept this award which reflects the dedication of our excellent team at Edinburgh Innovations and the entrepreneurial talents of the University’s leading researchers.
Related links
The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards