Horizons 40 Pioneering research from the University of Cambridge 02 03 November 2020 Spotlight Contents Reproduction COVID-19 26 30 04 Foreword Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope introduces a special focus on COVID-19 research 06 People powered Meet a few of the many who are helping to address the spread and impact of the global pandemic 08 “In it for the long haul” Biomedical researchers at the heart of the health crisis are also preparing for the viruses that come next 12 Ad Hoc Search for a vaccine (against fake news too), the £10m challenge, looking beyond the pandemic, and more 24 The big picture Fertility futures Set up for life Professor Kathy Niakan talks about some of Four decades after IVF was conceived in Cambridge, How does the environment experienced in the Features the major questions in reproduction affecting sociologists investigate the new ‘haves and have-nots’ womb programme us for diseases later in life – individuals, families and populations everywhere in our fertility futures and even the health of our grandchildren? 16 This Cambridge Life The Mongolian conservationist helping nomadic herders preserve lands under threat from the fashion industry 18 Displaced lives Dr Naures Atto is determined to give voice to the migrants denied a home and basic human rights 42 20 Meltdown 100 years of polar research – and the catastrophic changes to ice sheets at both ends of the planet 22 Fieldnotes Walking on Mount Terror in South Africa, botanist Dr Ángela Cano likes to stop and smell the succulents Editor Spotlight advisory editors Dr Louise Walsh Professor Graham Burton Professor Sarah Franklin Feature writers Christina Rozeik Dr Tom Almeroth-Williams Professor Gordon Smith 38 Craig Brierley 34 Sarah Collins Design Jacqueline Garget Modern Designers Surviving birth (When) are you going to have children? A brief history of reproduction Charis Goodyear Research at one of the busiest maternity What influences one of the most significant choices From the banks of the ancient Nile to Fred Lewsey Cover illustration hospitals in the world aims to help more women many people will ever make – and how has this the fertility clinics today, 4,000 years of Dr Louise Walsh Sam Falconer survive complicated pregnancies and birth changed over time? making (and not making) babies (in brief) 04 05 Foreword Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope introduces a special focus on COVID-19 research. Image Machines developed by a Cambridge University spinout being used to diagnose infection with SARS-CoV-2 at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust To remark that the past year has been Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic powerful contribution to society than unusual is an understatement. Things Immunology and Infectious Disease – Cambridge’s response to this global that seemed unimaginable this time last pivoted almost the entirety of its health emergency. year – the clear and present risk to research towards studying, treating and public health, the shutting down of our testing for COVID-19. And of how the As this issue of Horizons was being institutions, the cutting off of our social University and nearby Wellcome Sanger completed, we learned with deep contacts – were, quite suddenly, the new Institute are leading the COVID-19 sadness of the sudden death of our pattern of our lives. Genomic UK (COG-UK) Consortium, colleague Professor Chris Abell. It fills me with enormous gratitude a major national effort to deliver large- As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research that, at the moment of greatest scale and rapid whole-genome since 2016, Chris helped to coordinate challenge, our community rallied and sequencing of the virus to guide UK and support the University’s research rose to the occasion. Colleagues public health interventions. endeavour, the results of which have across the collegiate University worked Others focused on NHS capacity, regularly been reviewed in this magazine. tirelessly to modify teaching and and on the logistics and supply chains He was instrumental in coordinating assessments, develop new systems for for frontline resources like personal the University’s response to the national business-critical activities, manage the protective equipment. An award-winning, need for COVID-19 testing. Much of closing and reopening of buildings, and low-cost, open-source ventilator was what is covered in this special issue put together public health measures to designed for use in low-income countries was made possible, in some way, thanks keep everyone as safe as possible. by a team from the Department of to his personal efforts. He will be missed Meanwhile our researchers jumped Engineering’s Whittle Laboratory, by all of us. into action. Dozens of new research working with colleagues from the projects began on the nature and Institute for Manufacturing and in transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, collaboration with a manufacturer in on finding therapeutics and a vaccine, South Africa. and on understanding the impact A large number of research projects of anything from mental health have also begun on post-COVID recovery, to social behaviour. including studies on the economic Work had already started on this impact of the pandemic on social and edition of Horizons when the national educational equality and, vitally, on lockdown was announced in March. how we can prevent future pandemics. The enforced pause offered an And there is so much more – again opportunity to rethink its contents and again we’ve seen researchers across to highlight some of Cambridge’s the disciplines contribute their time extraordinary contributions to tackling and expertise at this challenging time. COVID-19 the COVID-19 crisis. We often remark on the University of The projects highlighted here are the Cambridge’s mission: to contribute to tip of the research iceberg. You will read society through education, learning of how one of our newest institutes – the and research. I cannot think of a more Credit Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 06 07 People powered Professor Duncan Professor Sarah-Jayne Professor Diane Coyle CBE McFarlane Blakemore Bennett Institute Department of Engineering Department of Psychology for Public Policy Duncan McFarlane admits he Humans are inherently social. Economist Diane Coyle says knew very little about hospital The parts of the brain that that it’s not possible to avoid operations before March this enable us to recognise the the economic hit of a global year but, as the scale of the mental states, feelings and pandemic, “but it’s essential pandemic became apparent, actions of others develop to be aware of why the Meet a few of Professor Julia Gog OBE Dr Jag Srai Professor James Wood he and a team of Cambridge throughout adolescence – pandemic will be particularly Department of Applied Department of Engineering Department of students and staff thought so what happens when damaging to living standards, the many who Mathematics and Theoretical Veterinary Medicine they could help. teenagers have reduced and to ensure these lessons are helping to Physics Manufacturing firms have had “Hospitals were face-to-face contact during a inform future policy choices.” a rocky few months, and yet James Wood works on scrambling to make the pandemic? This is a question She’s especially worried address the Julia Gog is an expert on some have not only survived zoonoses – diseases caused operational changes needed that concerns Sarah-Jayne about productivity, spread and modelling the transmission but also thrived during the by viruses like SARS-CoV-2 to deal with a surge in Blakemore. particularly in today’s of infectious diseases like pandemic. This could be that jump between animals COVID-19 patients. We “The pandemic has meant ‘knowledge economy’ and impact of the influenza. Since the start of ‘Operational Darwinism’ in and humans. He leads several offered to apply what we young people have had fewer how ideas and technology global pandemic. the crisis, she has been action says Jag Srai – and the large-scale programmes know from industrial settings: chances to interact in person shape work and daily lives. focusing on the spread of results could help businesses aiming to reduce zoonotic instead of production lines it with peers at a time in their During lockdown, she looked Words Louise Walsh COVID-19, particularly among prepare for future disruptions. spread in Sub-Saharan Africa would be wards; instead of lives when this is crucial for at what was happening to the Illustrations Tracy Worrall children, and in schools and “The pandemic has sent a and India. He’s worried that products and materials it their development. Waves of household division of labour universities – and advising shockwave across all sectors, the health infrastructure in would be the flow of patients social distancing and and economic activity – and the government via the with firms thrown into chaos these regions could easily be and supplies.” restrictions, even if only the effects of government Scientific Advisory Group by unstable supply and overwhelmed, and that health Working with local temporary, represent a large policies in the face of for Emergencies (SAGE) demand. It’s normal to have and wealth inequalities will hospitals, the team adapted portion of a young person’s collapsing productivity. and Cambridge’s Centre for disruption at times, but the be accentuated. information engineering life.” “Governments around the Science and Policy. crisis has brought fracturing Wood’s focus during much principles to manage the flow She and colleagues have world have, rightly, turned Her team looks at how at multiple points in the of 2020 has been on of patients and to anticipate been studying the impact of to massive spending to try to and when people come into supply chain and it’s been organising the Vet School’s shortages of beds, equipment social distancing on the limit the immediate damage contact to work out the virus difficult for firms to anticipate research and policy and staff.