Southampton scientists present their research in parliament
Four researchers from Medicine are among 21 University of Southampton PhD students and Early Career Researchers presenting their research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges today (9 March), as part of the SET for BRITAIN poster competition and exhibition. Their work has been chosen from a wide range of applicants, to encourage, support and promote Britain's early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians who are an essential part of continuing progress in and development of UK research and development.
The researchers, Philip Alexander, Edoardo Scarpa, Hugh Thomas and Gareth Ward will be judged in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony, judged by leading academics, with the gold medallist receiving £3,000, while silver and bronze will receive £2,000 and £1,000 respectively.
Philip is an Eye Surgeon conducting research with Professor Andrew Lotery. He explains: "We have previously developed a polymeric scaffold that supports the growth of retinal cells (Retinal Pigment Epithelium - RPE). As part of my research I have developed a new surgical instrument to allow implantation of the scaffold, with the cells, under the retina. This could potentially lead to a new treatment for patients with macular degeneration and other retinal degenerative disease."
Edoardo’s project is about the regeneration of bone using nanoparticles. He explains: "It is estimated that 10 per cent of all the fractures diagnosed do not heal properly causing severe consequences on the socio-economic status of the patients. We aim to use polymersomes, tiny nanoparticles (more than 100 times smaller in width than a human hair), made of polymers. These polymersomes have the potential to carry and deliver drugs to specific targets in the human body, therefore they may represent a novel strategy to aid the regeneration of bone and help millions of people."
Hugh is considering the impact of obesity in pregnancy. He comments: "Obesity affects around 20 per cent of UK pregnancies, making it a very common and dangerous complication with a significant burden on the NHS. Because children of obese pregnancies are more likely to become obese and develop metabolic disease, this might be resulting in a “vicious cycle” of obesity being passed from one generation to the next. My research, sponsored by Diabetes UK, aims to see if we can block this vicious cycle by giving a safe, well known anti-diabetic drug (metformin) during pregnancy."
Gareth’s research is based on the design and development of a biocompatible polymer sheet, which is designed to be used as a treatment and therapy for ocular-based afflictions and diseases, such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration & Retinitis Pigmentosa. He adds: “Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries. The use of a biocompatible polymer sheet, with regenerative cells adhered onto the surface of this sheet, is designed to be a regenerative and therapeutic treatment for AMD.”
Andrew Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee said, "This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
"These early career engineers, mathematician and scientists are the architects of our future and SET for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work."
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee run the SET for BRITAIN event in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, the London Mathematical Society, the Institute of Physics, The Physiological Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Society of Biology and the Society of Chemical Industry, with financial support from BP, Wiley, Essar, INEOS, the Clay Mathematics Institute, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Bank of England and the Institute of Biomedical Science.