NUSOVUS Today’s Research ~ Tomorrow’s Health NO.84 JANUARY 2019 Charity Beneficiaries, Supporters and Donors It is vital that charities understand the impact on their The results of the last six surveys (2006/7 to 2012/13) for pilot beneficiaries of grants awarded and the ongoing grants are: encouragement to their supporters and donors of positive 50% of all pilot grants led to successful further results. 50% external funding To analyse this impact, Tenovus Scotland requests Final External funding was 12 times the total of all Reports from researchers immediately after the pilot research 12 x pilot grants awarded is complete (usually after 12 -18 months) and carries out 350 publications, poster and conference Annual Surveys to determine the achievements of pilot grants presentations and press releases which were awarded five years previously. 350 Our annual survey results undoubtedly show that our pilot Final reports are reviewed by the Regional Committees to grants not only contribute to advances in research and future understand the effectiveness of the pilot research. The Annual clinical outcomes but also progress careers by providing a Surveys take a longer term look to evaluate the ongoing pool of experienced researchers who are able to drive today’s success of the research. leading-edge research. Stepping Stone One researcher to benefit in the long term from pilot funding is Dr Donal Wall. Here is his success story. “Tenovus Scotland has been an essential aid in getting my career up and running. In 2009, when I first set up my laboratory at the University of Glasgow, there were few funding options to help when getting started. Tenovus Scotland provided me with a research grant in my first year, allowing the lab to Dr Wall (extreme right) with his group of researchers generate sufficient data for further applications for larger grants to the UK The current research focus of the group government and European Union. government Research Councils. The is three-fold; firstly, we strive to work funded by Tenovus Scotland understand bacterial infection; While my lab is now established, the contributed to a significant publication secondly, we look at the impact of first funding I received from Tenovus from the lab which gained worldwide certain bacteria on exacerbation of the Scotland was a crucial factor in these media attention, and which led me to symptoms of Crohn’s disease; and subsequent successes. As a new being awarded the Sir Robert MacLellan finally, we are utilising advanced Lecturer in 2009 the confidence gained Award. This in turn further contributed imaging techniques to identify from getting a first grant from Tenovus to showcasing our work and ensuring molecules produced by bacteria in the Scotland was really helpful in allowing our work attracted further research intestine and how these may contribute me to pursue the science that I felt was funding. to human health and disease. For these important. Without the stepping stone it projects we collaborate with clinicians provided I am not sure pursuing larger Now the lab has been funded from hospitals in Glasgow to increase grants would have been, or even continuously for over seven years the potential of our work to impact on seemed, possible.” through Research Council funding, and the general public. Presently the lab has numerous postgraduate students have six members with two more to Dr Donal Wall, Senior Lecturer been trained in the lab, graduating with join shortly. I also now sit on grant (Bacteriology) and Associate (School of MSc and PhD degrees. funding panels for both the UK Life Sciences), University of Glasgow Patron: HRH The Princess Royal Honorary President: Sir Kenneth Calman Acting Chairman: Professor Ken Paterson project supported by Tenovus Scotland Sir Robin MacLellan 2018 Travel Award has also enabled me to establish important collaborations which are with their partners on the cell surface essential for the newly funded project. and how this process regulates the Being a recipient of two Tenovus ability of heart muscle cells to use Scotland small grants and this year’s Sir glucose as a source of energy in Robin MacLellan Award, I was able to diabetes and heart failure. Our pilot disseminate our important research study clearly shows that abnormalities results in international conferences, in the extracellular space of the heart including the recent European contribute to insulin resistance, a Association for the Study of Diabetes condition in which cells fail to respond conference in Berlin this October. My to the normal actions of the hormone deepest gratitude goes to Tenovus insulin, therefore resulting in elevated Scotland for the opportunity of Dr Kang being presented with her Award blood glucose. The results of our studies conducting such an exciting project, from Sir Kenneth Calman, Honorary President provide important and novel insights which has served as a springboard for of Tenovus Scotland at the 2018 AGM into underlying mechanisms for the what I hope will be a long, productive development of cardiac insulin career for me as an independent This annual award is for the most resistance and suggest the therapeutic researcher. The significant funding from outstanding Final Report of a pilot potential of targeting cardiac Tenovus Scotland has enhanced my study which has recently been extracellular abnormalities in diabetes knowledge, expanded my research completed. and heart disease. These results have areas and networks, and raised my formed important preliminary data for a international profile in the scientific “I am extremely honoured to be recently awarded project grant funded community of diabetes and heart awarded the Sir Robin MacLellan Award. by the British Heart Foundation. This disease.” My research project aimed to grant will allow us to further elucidate understand how proteins and the therapeutic capability of targeting Li Kang, University of Dundee, molecules outside the cell communicate these extracellular abnormalities. My 2018 Award winner Sir Roddy MacSween Medal A highlight of last year was the first Receiving this award has given me award of the Sir Roddy MacSween several unique opportunities. I had the Medal to Antonia Mentel. This award, privilege of meeting the wonderful commemorating our past National widow of Sir Roddy MacSween, Lady Chairman, was made possible by the MacSween, as wellasseveral figureheads generous donations at the time of Sir of Scottish medicine, with whom it was Roddy’s funeral, subsequent memorial inspiring and enriching to speak. service and the wonderful generosity of Lady MacSween and the MacSween The money I have received has allowed family. In a new departure for Tenovus me to finance my travels to Vienna this Lady MacSween and Antonia at the Medal ceremony Scotland, this is a prize to an summer, where I was working in the undergraduate, specifically a medical largest hospital in Austria to broaden student with exceptional performance type on secondary stroke and systemic my knowledge of endocrinology. I got in pathology, in the University of embolism risk. an insight into another health care Glasgow Medical School. The award system and was able to follow several consists of a prize medal and a The prize has allowed me to grow rare endocrinological cases. It has significant monetary award. academically, and as an individual. further contributed to financing my Furthermore, the opportunities to “I had the honour to receive the Sir intercalated year, in which I am studying which this prize has contributed will Roddy MacSween prize and medal for for a Bachelor of Clinical Medicine in certainly make me more competitive in pathology at the year three viva, as I was cardiovascular sciences. As part of my the future.” one of the highest scoring students in degree I am currently working on a the final year three exam. paper on the effect of atrial fibrillation Antonia Mentel, Award winner Pre-eclampsia . first steps towards a bigger study An Aberdeen University Pre-eclampsia, a condition affecting 1 in of all pregnancies since 1950, four multidisciplinary research team, 20 pregnancies, is marked by groups of women will be recruited, to supported by a £20,000 Tenovus hypertension and possible other organ include women who did/did not have Scotland pilot grant, is studying damage; rarely a cause of maternal pre-eclampsia and who, later in life, methods of identifying women who, death in UK, it globally contributes to have/have not got cardiovascular having suffered pre-eclampsia during the deaths of 76,000 mothers and half a disease. Participants will undergo a pregnancy, go on to develop million babies annually. series of tests which mark early heart cardiovascular disease, including disease to seek differences in the hypertension, heart attacks and Using the Aberdeen Maternity and different groups. strokes, later in life. Neonatal Databank, which holds details CONTINUED PAGE 4 2 TELEPHONE 0141 221 6268 EMAIL [email protected] WEBSITE www.tenovus-scotland.org.uk myeloid leukemia and, in particular, on Face to Face understanding the role of ULK1, a protein involved in the early stages of with Angela Ianniciello, a Princess the autophagy process, in the survival of Royal Tenovus Scotland Medical drug resistant leukaemic stem cells. We Research Scholar and Dr Vignir have been testing a new ULK1 inhibitor Helgason, Angela’s Supervisor which appears a very promising candidate in combination with tyrosine Angela kinase inhibitors to eradicate chronic myeloid leukaemic stem cells. We are What is your background? currently further investigating the I graduated in medical biotechnology metabolic effect of the inhibitor and from the University of Florence in 2012. conducting pre-clinical efficacy studies. I then studied for a Masters degree in Our aim is to publish our results in a Dr Vignir Helgason and Angela regenerative medicine, which included high impact factor journal and hope, in an internship at the University of the longer term, to propose a new followed, it became very clear to me that Bordeaux in 2014.