News about research

Research report by Professor Tim Elliott

Many congratulations to Professor Freda Stevenson who has received the Jean Bernard Life Time Achievement Award of the European Hematology Association at its Congress in Milan. She is the first British winner of the Award, which was established in 2008 to honour outstanding physicians and scientists for their lifetime contribution to the advancement of hematology. Freda’s research interests are B lymphocyte-associated diseases; her studies having provided insight into the pathogenesis and progression of lymphomas and leukaemias. Notably, Professor Stevenson has focused on the surface idiotypic Ig as a target for immune attack and in 1999 discovered the major prognostic impact of Ig gene status in the cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. We will mark her achievement at an international conference at the University.
Three colleagues have been appointed Heads of Academic Units within the Faculty.

• Rob Read , Professor of Infectious Diseases, is now the head of Clinical and Experimental Sciences. He has research interests in the pathogenesis and prevention of rapidly lethal infectious diseases, especially meningococcal and pneumococcal disease, and influenza.
• Karen Temple , Professor of Medical Genetics, heads Human Development and Health after being Deputy Director of the Unit. Her research interests are in the genetics, epigenetics and clinical characterisation of childhood developmental disorders.
• Dr Shelley Parr now heads Education. Her previous role at Southampton was as BM4 Programme Director, earlier she worked as an educational developer, leading a range of initiatives. She was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s teaching award in 2011 for her work on the PGCert in Academic Practice.

Congratulations to Dr Marc Tebruegge , ACL in Child Health, who has been awarded the 2014 SPARKS Young Investigator Medal from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. This is the second year running that this prestigious National Award has been awarded to Southampton, following the award last year to Tony Wiskin .
Protea Biosciences has entered into a research collaboration with Dr Roxana Carare in Southampton. Her team will use the company's proprietary direct molecular imaging technology to study the molecular mechanisms of the brains of older people to identify markers that may indicate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Cancer research in the Faculty is being featured in the University of Southampton’s popular Roadshow that visits events such as the city’s Science and Engineering Festival and Bestival. The presenters were joined at the Cheltenham Science Festival by Alzheimer’s disease researchers Professors Clive Holmes and James Nicoll who gave a talk in the BBC Science Zone and Richard Holt who spoke about doping and sport.