News from the Medical Research Council Winter 2016/17 network Leading science for better health

Feature How do you solve a problem The like reproducibility? opensQueen new Francis Crick Institute

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News COMMENT FROM Championing brain disorder research 4 The Queen opens new Francis Crick Institute

Funding options map 7 John Savill In November, Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, CHIEF EXECUTIVE accompanied by The Duke of York, opened the brand new £650m Francis Crick Institute in London. People Delivering scientific and technological innovation is at the heart of the MRC’s As the biggest biomedical research institute under one roof Sir Paul Nurse, director of the Crick, former president of New MRC Chief of Strategy 6 strategy, which is why the Chancellor’s in Europe, it will be home to 1,250 scientists from different the Royal Society and Nobel laureate, said: “It was a announcement of increased spending disciplines, and a further 250 support staff. Together they delight to welcome The Queen to our new building for the for UK research, development and will investigate the fundamental biology underlying human Francis Crick Institute and show her some of the science innovation – delivered in his first Autumn health and disease and tackle the pressing health that we are carrying out to understand the human body Statement to Parliament in November – concerns of the 21st century. better in health and disease.” Funding is such welcome news. A registered charity, the Crick’s founding partners are the Read more at: mrc.io/crick-opening Partnership to beat drug resistance 10 This £4.7bn commitment for research MRC, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University and development over the next five College London), Imperial College London and King's Look inside the Crick in this video: mrc.io/inside-the-crick Boosting UK's dementia research base 11 years, part of a new National Productivity Investment Fund College London. (NPIF), is great news for science and technology. An increase in grant funding for innovation and a new During the visit The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh cross-disciplinary fund – the Industrial Strategy Challenge saw some of the state-of-the-art facilities for research and Fund – will provide excellent opportunities for researchers met many of the scientists and staff. The Queen unveiled Latest discoveries to get involved. artist Robert Ballagh’s portrait of Francis Crick, a portrait commissioned by James Watson, who worked with Crick Zika virus secrets unlocked 14 We will help to deliver this fund, together with Innovate UK on the structure of DNA (see front cover). and the other research councils, and additional funding will Blood test may predict baby health 15 be awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on the basis of national excellence. There will also be a substantial increase in grant funding through Innovate UK, including a specific £100m allocation to support the very successful Features MRC/Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst. Joint working between academics and industry leads to the Braking perceptions of traffic pollution 8 creation and sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills. Only through collaboration can we accelerate innovation and Working life: Dr Alessia David 12 speed up the transfer of the best ideas into new preventive and therapeutic interventions for improving human health. How do you solve a problem like reproducibility? 16 Sir John Savill Opinion: We need to tackle health inequalities 18 MRC Chief Executive Your feedback

Thank you to all of our readers who completed the MRC Network magazine readership survey and congratulations to Read the Autumn Statement: Claire Rooney and Sujata Biswas, winners of the survey prize draw. mrc.io/Autumn-Statement-2016 In response we will review the range of content we include in the magazine. You asked for more information on MRC Find examples of routes for setting up collaboration at: mrc. policies and processes for applicants, information on public engagement activities, how funding is allocated, more io/collaboration-ideas opinion pieces about medical research and features looking at MRC-funded research in depth.

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MRCNetwork | 3 NEWS

2016 science writing winner crowned

Congratulations to MRC-funded PhD student Liza Selley from the MRC-PHE Centre for Championing brain disorder research Environment and Health who won this year’s Max Perutz Science Writing Award.

Now in its 19th year, the competition asks MRC-funded See Liza’s winning article on page 8 A new MRC centre aims to reveal the biological clues behind brain disorders and PhD students to explain why their research matters in just translate this knowledge into clinical advances that change people’s lives. 800 words. Read all short-listed articles at: mrc.io/maxp16articles

Brain disorders account for one of the greatest burdens Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), who will lead the Liza received the first prize of £1,500 for her article: of disease in the developed world. The currently available centre, said: “We are delighted that the MRC has made ‘Braking perceptions of traffic pollution’. The runner-up therapies do not work effectively for many patients and a priority of research on developmental brain disorders, prize of £750 was awarded to Katie Ember, MRC Centre there is a lack of treatments for many conditions. and that this centre will be at King’s. This is a vote of for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, confidence in our research and our ability to bring for her article, ‘Cholangiocarcinoma: The Cancer You’ve The MRC has awarded £3m to King’s College London for together excellent clinical and basic scientists in a Never Heard Of’. the new MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. collective endeavour.” It will focus on epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder and Commendation prizes of £400 went to Paul Cowling schizophrenia, disorders thought to be caused by Find out more: https://devneuro.org/cndd from the University of Edinburgh, Ainslie Johnstone from abnormal brain development. the University of Oxford, and Edie Crosse from the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University Professor Oscar Marín, Director of the Department of of Edinburgh. Developmental Neurobiology at the Institute of Psychiatry, At the ceremony, Mr Donald Brydon CBE, MRC Chairman and Chair of the judging panel, said: "We are going through a period of extraordinary change, particularly in this country, and it has never been so important to communicate our science. The judging panel found this year’s entries to be the best we have seen for many years, so picking a winner was extremely difficult." Facing the panel

To help future Clinical Research Training Fellows prepare, the MRC has launched a set of five videos to give a taste of what it’s like to face a fellowship interview panel. Grant review tips

The videos explain everything you need to know about clinical fellowship applications. They include Sitting down to write your first grant application review? To help with the process, Dr Joanne Ng’s mock Clinical Research Training MRC Peer Review Programme Manager Rachel Prosser has compiled eight top tips Fellowship interview and Chair of the MRC’s Clinical Training and Career Development Panel, Professor for writing a useful grant review. Moira Whyte, telling interview candidates what to expect from her panel. The time and effort that peer reviewers give to the MRC peer review process is invaluable in helping MRC research boards and panels make funding decisions. Rachel asked MRC board and panel members to share their tips Watch the videos at: mrc.io/CRTF-videos on writing reviews of grant applications.

Read more on the MRC Insight blog at: Read the tips at: mrc.io/8-grant-reviewing-tips mrc.io/interview-day and mrc.io/panel-perspective

4 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 5 PEOPLE NEWS

Funding options map New MRC Chief of Strategy Dr Declan Mulkeen has been appointed as the MRC’s Chief of Strategy, The MRC has come together with seven other research funders to create an a role held by Dr Jim Smith since April 2014. interactive ‘map’ of the funding schemes available to biomedical researchers.

Dr Mulkeen joined the MRC in 1988 and occupied his previous role as the MRC’s The first of its kind focused on medical research, the ‘funding view’ takes the form of an interactive Chief Science Officer for eight years. map, giving the user an easy way to navigate the UK biomedical research funding landscape.

Sir John Savill, Chief Executive of the MRC, said: “I’m delighted with the The aim of the resource is to help the research community view and compare different funding appointment of Declan Mulkeen as the new Chief of Strategy; with his wide schemes across career stages. It provides an outline and links for each type of award, experience he will undoubtedly provide excellent leadership to the Strategy Group.” including the required level of experience, level of funding and duration.

The ‘funding view’ was developed based on feedback received via the feedback function of the Interactive Career Framework which continues to be updated with new case studies. MRC Chairman reappointed Explore the funding view at: Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson has confirmed the reappointment of mrc.io/funding-options-map Mr Donald Brydon CBE as Chairman of the MRC. The reappointment runs from 1 October 2016 until 31 March 2018.

Jo Johnson said: “I am pleased to reappoint Donald Brydon, his business knowledge and experience of chairing different organisations makes him ideally placed to continue leading the Council.”

Donald Brydon said: “I am delighted to be reappointed to the MRC, an organisation whose work has a direct impact on people’s lives across the globe.”

A tribute to Mary Lyon Regeneration nation

In tribute to the eminent geneticist Mary Lyon, 100 researchers from nine countries attended a scientific meeting in October, hosted by the Royal Society. For two days in September the inaugural UK Regenerative Medicine Conference showcased the outstanding research that makes the UK a world leader in this fast-moving field. As part of the event, attendees went to MRC Harwell in Oxfordshire where Mary developed her theory in 1961 on X-chromosome inactivation – a genetic process Hosted by the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform patients by helping to develop new treatments for a wide implicated in disease inheritance. (UKRMP), in partnership with the Cell and Gene Therapy range of debilitating conditions. Catapult, 300 leading UK and international researchers – While studying mice with different coloured patches of fur, she hypothesised that from academia and industry – gathered to discuss the Regenerative medicine also offers huge potential to one of the two X chromosomes in the cells of female mammals is randomly latest advances in the field. support the UK economy; the sector in the UK is expected inactivated during early development. This stops females from having twice the to create 15,000 jobs by 2020 and generate £5bn of number of X chromosome gene products as males – a potentially toxic double Topics ranged from tissue regeneration, including skin revenue by 2020. dose. regeneration for burns patients, to methods of cell and Her hypothesis has helped us understand the genetic basis of many tissue replacement, such as research looking at cartilage Read more about the conference at: X-chromosome-linked diseases. repair in the knee. This interdisciplinary field has the mrc.io/regen-med-conference potential to completely change the way we care for A new Mary Lyon exhibition was opened for the meeting, with a timeline of Mary’s life exploring her education, career at Harwell and major discoveries. This portrait by Dr Lizzie Burns shows Mary absorbed in her research. Find out more at: mrc.io/mary-lyon-tribute

6 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 7 FEATURE BRAKING perceptions of traffic pollution

I also noticed that brake dust encouraged the exhaust. It also means that brake dust contributes to Liza Selley, MRC-funded PhD student at Imperial College London, macrophages to release alarm signals called cytokines, the £62 billion that we spend each year on pollution- won this year’s Max Perutz Science Writing Award. In her winning which call the rest of the immune system for assistance, related healthcare. and damaged energy production, forcing the caretaker article, she explains her research studying the negative effects of cells to enter self-destruct mode. The most important As a non-exhaust enthusiast, my supervisor was very discovery however, was that brake dust impacted all of excited to hear this and through mutterings of “I told you brake dust emissions on human health and the economy. these functions to the same extent as our old friend, the so!” suggested we delve further to see why brake dust is diesel exhaust particle. so toxic. We found that brake dust is made predominantly from metals and that blocking those metals chemically was It’s been splashed across the papers – traffic pollution is a the wheels kick up. I certainly hadn’t realised that the Worryingly, this means that brake dust is as capable of like bacon to a hangover. Without its metals, brake dust menace. Striking 30,000 of us each year with heart particles that these processes create represent more than causing what I call ‘London Throat’ – the constant froggy had no impact on germ hoovering, cytokine production or disease, respiratory illnesses and lung cancer, vehicle half of vehicle emissions. feeling and string of coughs and colds that city-dwellers cell survival. This showed that metals are responsible for fumes kill four times as many people as car accidents and endure – or the same deadly asthma attacks as diesel brake dust toxicity and suggested that we ought to be hospitalise a great many more. The problem is that neither have my colleagues and neither worrying about other metallic pollutants like clutch and have our policy makers. Think of all those headlines road wear too. At the beginning of my PhD my supervisor asked me to warning of the dangers of exhaust emissions: ‘Diesel is conjure up an image of traffic and tell him where I thought killing thousands!’, ‘Exhaust causes cancer!’. Have you The importance of these findings are easiest to understand those fumes came from. Picturing a trail of lorries trundling ever read that about brake dust or tyre wear? No, when you consider all of the improvements that stemmed up the motorway, I confidently answered that they came because air pollution scientists are caught in a diesel from matching investigations into exhaust toxicity. from the exhaust pipe. storm, and despite knowing that non-exhaust particles Policy-makers responded by introducing diversions for the have toxic properties, haven’t got round to seeing what fumiest vehicles, surcharges for diesel car parking, fleets of Now I wasn’t wrong – those lorries would have produced that other pollution does to people’s lungs. ‘green’ buses to replace the older polluting ones, and half a kilogram of exhaust per mile travelled – but I really charging points for electric vehicles popped up like daisies. wasn’t considering the full picture. I hadn’t thought about That is what my research is about: discovering the other the wear and tear that occurs each time the clutch is half of the story and providing the policy-makers with But like a pessimist at a party, my research has shown that released or the brakes are squeezed, the friction that evidence that we need to regulate wear particles as well as these interventions aren’t enough. People who live in shears at the tyres and the road surface or the dust that exhaust fumes. Otherwise it’s like removing the nest but low-exhaust areas will still be inhaling dangerous pollutants leaving the wasps behind – as diesel emissions decrease, and unless we tackle those emissions too, our health and non-exhaust particles will remain in the air and our hearts our economy will continue to feel that sting. “As diesel emissions and lungs will keep getting stung. Read this article online at: mrc.io/winner-maxp16 decrease, non-exhaust Our lungs are defended by macrophages – caretaking cells that hoover up inhaled germs and particles, protecting us particles will remain in the air from chest infections and keeping us breathing smoothly. In the lab I sprinkled brake dust, particles produced when and our hearts and lungs will brakes and wheels press together, onto these cells and found that they could only hoover up a quarter of the keep getting stung.” germs that they usually can. Award-winner Liza Selley with the shortlisted entrants

8 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 9 Unsure how MRC funding is allocated? Watch our five minute peer review animation to find out: FUNDING mrc.io/peerreviewvideo

New partnership to beat drug resistance Boosting UK's dementia A new £13m jointly funded research programme to help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been launched research base between the UK Research Councils and India’s Department for Biotechnology (DBT). The MRC has awarded £4.3m to six universities to grow and Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and develop the UK’s research base Innovation, made the announcement during a visit to New Delhi in November. This coincided with the first meeting of the RCUK-DBT UK-India Strategic in dementia science. Group on AMR. The group will agree priority areas for research and develop collaborative approaches across research disciplines to tackle AMR. The Momentum awards, designed to support the planned UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI), Dr Jonathan Pearce, Head of Infections and Immunity at the MRC, said: will help open new research avenues which could “Antibiotic overuse and misuse – in agriculture and human medicine – transform the potential of dementia research in has led to a growing number of bacteria in humans, animals and the the UK. environment that are resistant to them. Our response to this challenge has to span nations and disciplines. This new funding will enable the The awards represent the first steps in establishing UK Research Councils and DBT to bring the best of UK and Indian research the capabilities for the DRI, funded through a to bear against the challenge of AMR”. combined investment of £150m from the MRC and £50m each from the founding charity partners, the More information at: mrc.io/UK-India-partnership Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. The DRI is expected to be up and running by 2019.

Dr Rob Buckle, director of science programmes at the MRC, said: “These transformative awards will create exciting new opportunities across the dementia research landscape and provide impetus to allow the institute to start making its mark as UK-China collaboration informs animal feed antibiotic ban soon as it is launched.”

A UK-China research collaboration has helped lead to a potentially life-saving Award close-ups antibiotic being banned as a feed additive for animals in China. • An award to the University of Bristol will develop new computational approaches to Colistin is an important ‘last resort’ antibiotic, This led to the Ministry of Agriculture banning the analyse behaviour relevant to dementia based used to treat serious bacterial infections in use of colistin as a feed additive for animals from on health-related behaviours at home. It will humans resistant to other antibiotics but it is also 1 November. build on the work of the Sensor Platform for used in animal feeds to help rear healthy animals. Healthcare in a Residential Environment MRC-funded Professor Timothy Walsh, from the (SPHERE) project, funded by EPSRC. A team led by Professors Jianzhong Shen and School of Medicine, Cardiff University, said: Timothy Walsh revealed that overuse of the drug “This is a remarkable example of how scientific • Cardiff University’s award will be used to in animal feed had encouraged a gene called discoveries can positively impact on animal and recruit two ‘rising stars’ focused on immune MCR-1 to allow bacteria to survive colistin human populations. Great credit must go to those pathways relevant to dementia and the treatment in humans and animals, leading in the Chinese Ministries of Health and Agriculture development of stem cell models of to resistance. for listening to our concerns and implementing neurodegenerative disease. this impressive outcome.” Following their discovery, the team worked with Read about the other awards at: the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to discuss the Read more at: mrc.io/animal-feed-antibiotic-ban mrc.io/momentumawards risks and impact of MCR-1 on colistin use.

10 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 11 WORKING LIFE

Dr Alessia David is a Clinical Research Fellow at Imperial College London and Honorary Lecturer in Endocrinology, Charing Cross Hospital, London. Career in brief: • Studied medicine in Italy • Trained in endocrinology in Italy My research Career break The SUSTAIN programme • PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Many endocrine disorders, diseases related to problems After a three-year career break to look after my family, I enrolled in a year-long programme of training, mentoring Queen Mary University of London with hormones, are caused by genetic factors. However, I contacted several funders. I always encountered and peer networking for women in science called • MRC-funded MSc in Bioinformatics and often we don’t know how that leads to disease. I’m trying extremely kind and helpful people who were happy to read SUSTAIN during the last year of my fellowship. This Systems Biology to develop algorithms to analyse big data, to assess how my CV, listen, and give me constructive advice. helped me to make major decisions about my next • MRC post-doctoral training fellowship in genetic variants impact on biological systems. My aim is to career steps, while feeling overwhelmed by the challenge Biomedical Informatics predict the effect of different genetic factors, so we can There are more funding opportunities for career re-entry of delivering high quality research, building a successful prioritise research into those that may cause disease or now than even a few years ago and I obtained an career in a very competitive environment and raising two increase our risk of developing medical conditions. MRC post-doctoral training fellowship in Biomedical little children. The third biggest challenge I have had to face (and I am Informatics. [This scheme is now called Skills still working on this!) is achieving a good work-life Being an active clinician helps me to identify gaps in our Development Fellowships]. balance, while finding quality time for my children. This is understanding of genetic causes of disease. My goal is to Biggest challenges particularly tough when trying to shape a career as a understand these factors well enough for us to provide I completed my fellowship this year and I have bridging Coming back after a long career break was a huge clinician scientist. personalised medicine. funding to continue my research. I am applying for grants challenge. Keeping up with the rapid developments in the and I hope to set up my own research group. world of research can be extremely challenging during a career break. You need lots of motivation and Words of wisdom enthusiasm, especially when trying to put together grant Persevere! But also be flexible and learn to adjust to new applications. Life is full of ups and downs. Failures and or unexpected situations. You will inevitably encounter rejections are just part of the journey – don’t let them kill difficulties but face them with optimism. Seek advice your dreams! from your mentors!

My second-biggest challenge was deciding to train in Read more about Alessia’s experience of the SUSTAIN bioinformatics, when bioinformatics had not yet become programme: mrc.io/SUSTAIN-experience as popular as it is today. Many people thought that I was crazy to abandon molecular biology. Now most agree SUSTAIN is a year-long programme of training, mentoring that bioinformatics is the missing link between genetics and peer networking for women in science funded by and molecular biology, and a powerful tool that can help The Academy of Medical Sciences, the MRC, the Royal to achieve the ultimate goal of personalised medicine. Society and the Royal College of Physicians: www.acmedsci.ac.uk/sustain

"Life is full of ups and downs. Failures and rejections are just part of the journey – don’t let them kill your dreams!"

12 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 13 LATEST DISCOVERIES

Parent-led early intervention Zika virus Blood test may predict Tackling obesity by GP referral reduces autism symptoms secrets unlocked baby health to weight loss programme

An early intervention for autism, aimed at helping Scientists have unveiled more about how the Zika A protein in the blood of pregnant women could be GP referral to a weight loss programme is effective parents communicate with their child, has been virus works, by sequencing and analysing the tested to determine the health of their unborn and acceptable, according to a trial funded through shown to have a prolonged effect on reducing the full-length genome of the virus from a patient babies, according to an early study funded by the the National Prevention Research Initiative, led by severity of autism symptoms. in Brazil. MRC, the Centre for Trophoblast Research at the the MRC. University of Cambridge, and led by Queen Mary The MRC-funded study, led by the University of The research was led by the MRC-University of University of London (QMUL). The trial, led by the University of Oxford, included Manchester in collaboration with King’s College Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in collaboration 137 GPs in England and 1,882 people attending a London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, with a group of international colleges, including from Tests in pregnant mice and a small group of GP consultation who were not seeking help to lose and Newcastle University, involved parents watching the Fiocruz Research Unit in Recife, Brazil, pregnant women showed that low levels of a blood weight. Before they left the consultation, participants films of themselves playing with their child while a supported by the UK Government and Brazilian marker, a protein known as DLK1, were a predictor were randomly allocated to receive a 30-second therapist gave precise tips for helping their partners through the Newton Fund. of poor baby growth in the womb and complications intervention. The referral group was offered a free child communicate. of pregnancy. DLK1 is usually found in high levels in 12-week weight management programme. GPs The team describes the full genomic sequence of the mother’s blood during normal pregnancy, in advised the second group that losing weight would The researchers found that children who had Zika virus isolated from a patient with classic humans and rodents. benefit their health. received this intervention between the ages of two symptoms of the virus. They compared the genome and four had reduced severity of symptoms for six sequence from this South American Zika virus isolate Lead researcher Dr Marika Charalambous from People in the referral group lost 2.4kg on average, years after the end of treatment. This included with other available Zika sequences, and also QMUL said: “Measuring DLK1 levels in the mother’s 1.43kg more than those in the second ‘control’ improved social communication and reduced identified a Zika virus-derived molecule, called blood could be a reliable and non-invasive way of group. Approximately five times more people in the repetitive behaviours. Despite the improvement, sfRNA. This molecule inhibits an important part of predicting whether there are likely to be referral group took effective action. difficulties remain and additional ongoing support will the host’s antiviral immune system response and complications, especially those that cause reduced usually be needed as the children get older. may be key to understanding how the virus nutrient supply to the baby. In those instances, you “Doctors can be concerned about offending their causes disease. really need to get the baby out quickly, so women patients by discussing their weight, but this evidence Professor Jonathan Green, who led the study, said: could opt to have an early elective delivery.” shows that they should be much less worried,” says “By embedding the treatment in family life we hoped Dr Alain Kohl, who led the research, said: “This lead author Professor Paul Aveyard. “On average, to have a sustained impact on the child's information is important for understanding the Further studies in humans are required to determine people consult their doctor five times a year meaning development, and the results of this study suggest biological development of Zika virus infection but DLK1’s diagnosis potential. there is huge opportunity to deliver this low cost that we have had some success.” may also be useful for the design of weakened forms intervention on a large scale.” of the virus for vaccine studies in the future.”

Published online at www.thelancet.com, Published online at http://journals.plos.org/plosntds, Published online at www.nature.com/ng, Published online at www.thelancet.com, 25 October 2016. 5 October 2016. 24 October 2016. 24 October 2016.

14 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 15 FEATURE

We’ve had policies on open access and data sharing for (and government and the public) to value the everyday some time. In fact this year we’re celebrating 10 years of rigour of research could be the key to solving this crisis. How do you solve a problem open access! As members of the biomedical research community we We helped develop the Concordat on Open Research can all play our part. Ideas on a postcard please! like reproducibility? Data, published in 2015 to ensure data are made openly available wherever possible. Contact: [email protected]

If you conduct clinical or public health intervention studies, To find out more visit:mrc.io/policies-guidance The MRC and a group of partner organisations issued an update in October on what we’ve we have made our expectations for openness clearer there been doing to address the issue of reproducibility and reliability of research since the 2015 too. As part of this guidance we explain how you should The University of Bristol is running a course on register trials, pre-publish protocols and make data advanced methods for reproducible science from symposium report. Dr Frances Rawle, MRC Head of Corporate Governance and Policy, available. These steps should make it easier to assess the 7-12 April 2017. It is open to early-career researchers, talks about what we’ve done so far. robustness of the evidence we use to inform subject to availability. Read more at: clinical treatments. www.bristol.ac.uk/expsych/events/reproducibility2017

Reproducibility is everyone’s problem. If we can’t ensure Research using animals that our results are reliable, then our research can’t We’ve been asking for extra detail on applications for Bank on it improve human health. animal research for a couple of years. We published The materials we use in biomedical experiments, such detailed guidance and worked examples on this. Try some as antibodies and cells, can be a significant source of Everyone involved in biomedical research – including of the great resources available – like the online variability. Luckily, there are lots of ways to improve how funders, individual researchers, research institutes, Experimental Design Assistant developed by the NC3Rs. we work. Are your laboratory quality control practices universities, publishers and academies – must play a part rigorous? Are you sure your cell lines are what you think in improving research practices. It’s too soon to know what impact this has had on they are? Could you make use of resources such as cell reproducibility. However, we’re pleased to see that and tissue banks with exemplary quality control or other We’ve worked across the sector to discover the main applicants and reviewers have been paying more attention specialist facilities? We’ve supported a number of causes of irreproducible results and what we can do to to experimental design. resources and facilities and highly recommend you make improve the situation. use of them.

Start at the very beginning Better applications, better reviewing In an informal poll, MRC-funded PhD students recently told No reward for reliability As a funder, we get to see research plans at an early stage us they don’t feel they get enough training in statistics and Perhaps the trickiest hurdle is the culture of research. – when funding applications are submitted. So right at the experimental design. Across disciplines and around the world, we start of the research process we can use our peer review over-emphasise publication in high impact journals. system to ensure that the experimental design, statistical As a researcher it’s important to develop these skills early Researchers feel under pressure to publish a lot, and to analysis and methodology are properly thought through. on and then keep them up to date throughout your career. publish quickly. Careful and reliable results are less likely So we’ve joined up with several other funders to change to be rewarded than novelty. A certain amount of However, we found that applicants often didn’t give the requirements for postgraduate training schemes. competitiveness is important, but getting the community enough detail about their methodology. In trying to cover All PhD students we fund now need to have training in everything, people squashed their methodology into too experimental design and statistics. They will also need brief a section to be useful. That meant reviewers struggled to understand the importance of ensuring robust and to assess the robustness of their experimental design. reproducible results.

So we opted for the simple solution of adding extra space to our grant application form. We’ve updated our guidance Opening up for reviewers and applicants to make our requirements as You often hear about open science and open data as clear as possible. Plus, if you sit on one of our funding answers to the reproducibility problem. Sharing data can boards or panels, we run a workshop on the importance of allow others to assess the robustness of results more statistical methodology and experimental design. easily, as well as allowing more use of existing data and stimulating new discoveries.

A cake, decorated with the orange open access logo, to celebrate 10 years of MRC open access policies.

16 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 17 OPINION

We need to tackle health inequalities

The MRC has welcomed the findings of a recent report published by the Academy of Medical Sciences, ‘Improving the health of the public by 2040’. Here Dr Vittal Katikireddi, an NHS Research Scotland Senior Clinical Research Fellow in the MRC/Chief Scientist Office Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow, explains why a healthier society can only be achieved by making society fairer.

Despite advances in medical technologies treatments and Many of these factors are outside of the medical sphere, Once we have the research to explain this, we’ll be public health measures, we’ve made very little progress in so research must be a collaborative effort with areas inside able to put health at the heart of government addressing health inequalities in the UK. For example, a and outside of medical science. We need to include policy. Then we can embed it in every intervention, boy born today in one of the more deprived areas of disciplines such as economics, education, engineering reduce these inequalities and improve Glasgow can expect to live around 15 years less than and design. people’s lives. someone born in one of the richer parts of the city.

The reasons for health inequality are complex. Growing up Every stage of life A more equal 2040 means in a deprived area means that a child, for example a young Let’s go back to that boy in Glasgow. As he grows up, he starting today boy, is less likely to have a safe place to play. That puts him is less likely to receive the highest quality education We need to start now, by identifying the right at greater risk of accidents and injuries. He is also more available. He is more likely to experience unemployment or research, by funding the right projects, by training a likely to live in damp housing which increases his chances zero-hours contracts. Poor working conditions could new breed of researchers who will be able to work of developing breathing problems. He’s likely to be cause him to have poor mental health. That could lead to at the interface of all relevant disciplines, and to exposed to more road traffic and therefore air pollution – him having to stop work before he would like to. make sure this knowledge is passed on to even though his family is less likely to drive. practitioners and policymakers. By 2040, that boy may be thinking about having his own children, but unfortunately, health inequalities could be We need the knowledge and tools to meet the The big picture even worse by then. The adverse impacts of climate grand challenge of tackling health inequalities. That Health has a complex recipe, and we do not know how all change on health – such as heatwaves and infectious way, by 2040, everyone will have the best chance the ingredients mix together. We need to know more about diseases – are likely to affect those most vulnerable of living a healthy life. how and why all the different factors interact with each in society. other to affect our health. That means looking at everything Vittal speaks in his own capacity and his views do from basic biological processes to the places where not necessarily reflect those of the MRC. we live. Questions to answer This is of course a pessimistic scenario, but it is useful to This is the rationale behind the Academy of Medical show how many non-medical factors determine our health. Science’s new report, for which I sat on the working group. To prevent the health inequalities illustrated here, we need It calls for collective action to find and fund the best answers to certain questions. What is the best way to Read the report, funded by the MRC and the research to understand what factors determine health, how create healthy environments for our children? How do Wellcome Trust, at: they are connected and how we can intervene to support non-conventional working patterns affect health? Is mrc.io/health-of-the-public-in-2040 the health of the public. unemployment related to mental health? How do all these things link together? Tackling and preventing health inequalities is at the heart of the new UK Prevention Research Partnership, to be launched by the MRC and partners in early 2017. Look out for updates on the MRC website.

18 | MRCNetwork MRCNetwork | 19 YOUR FEEDBACK

Network is for anyone who has an interest in the work of the MRC, including scientists, doctors and health professionals involved in medical research, government departments and parliamentarians, and university staff and students. The aim is to provide a quick, easy-to-read summary of activities across the MRC, from research news through to funding, grant schemes and policy issues, with pointers to more in-depth information on websites and in other publications.

We are keen to receive feedback on Network and suggestions for new features from our readers. To share your views email [email protected]

Network is produced by the MRC Corporate Affairs Group.

Editor: Isabel Baker Designer: Vin Kumar

A limited number of copies are available in print. Network can also be downloaded as a pdf at: www.mrc.ac.uk/network

IMAGES Front/back cover: © Fiona Hanson, courtesy of The Frances Crick Institute; © MRC Images Page 3: © Fiona Hanson, courtesy of The Frances Crick Institute; © Wellcome Page 4: Brain © Thinkstock Page 4/5: © MRC Images Page 6: © MRC Images; Mary Lyon © Dr Lizzie Burns Page 7: © Thinkstock; © MRC Images Page 8/9: © Thinkstock; © MRC Images Page 10/11: © Thinkstock Page 12/13: Alessia David © Imperial College London; © Science Photo Library Page 14: Mosquito © James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control; © Thinkstock Page 15: © Thinkstock Page 16/17: © Thinkstock; © MRC Images Page 18/19: © MRC Images

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