We undertake discovery science where we reassemble physiological processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue and systems level of organisation. In so doing we provide a bridge to translational medicine, and interface between physical and life sciences, as we train the next generation of doctors and biomedical scientists. Annual Report 2018–2019 Defining Excellence Oxford Anatomy and Physiology ranked #1 in the QS World University Rankings by subject 2017, 2018 A Year of Progress From the Head of Department The Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics has enjoyed another successful year, from our cutting edge © Colin Beesley © Colin research papers revealing Fish genes hold key to repairing damaged hearts key insights into heart regeneration, iron Key research into the Mexican cavefish led by Associate Professor deficiency and Parkinson’s Mathilda Mommersteeg and Research Assistant William Stockdale has led to an important paper suggesting a gene called to name a few, to hosting lrrc10 may hold the key to this fish’s remarkable ability to repair three major international its own heart after damage. Their findings could inspire change in scholars for our named the way human heart failure is treated. lecture series. www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/fish-genes-hold-key-to-repairing- Particular highlights for me have been hosting Jeffrey damaged-hearts M. Friedman ForMemRS for the inaugural Hans Krebs Lecture, Carla J. Shatz ForMemRS for the Charles Sherrington Lecture, Jennifer Doudna ForMemRS for a special Sherrington Prize Lecture on CRISPR-cas9 Gene Editing, and Anant Parekh joining these world- leading scientists on his own election as Fellow of the Royal Society. Another highlight is Professor Dame Kay Davies FRS receiving the premier award lecture in Oxford Connor-Robson, Natalie Centre Disease Parkinson’s biological sciences, the Croonian Medal and Lecture. © I am also pleased to note that the Department is once New method developed to target the leading again in a world leading position this year, coming genetic contributor to Parkinson’s a close second to the University of Cambridge. The Wade-Martins Group has identified how the dysfunction Cambridge achieved an overall score of 96.1 and of a key protein called LRRK2 causes the neurons affected in we achieved 96 in the 2019 QS World University Parkinson’s to lose their ability to clear out cell components that have been damaged. This discovery has enabled the team to find Rankings for Anatomy and Physiology. a new way to target and correct this issue, paving the way for a We have advanced our workplace environment this potential new clinical treatment. year as part of our continued commitment to the www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/new-way-to-target-and-treat- Athena SWAN charter and promoting equality. Mental leading-genetic-contributor-to-parkinsons health and wellbeing is one of our particular priorities, and we have appointed five mental health first aiders within our staff. The Department continues to evolve, having recently refurbished several major laboratory spaces in the Sherrington building. The Neural for Centre and Behaviour Circuits © majority of our public facing Sleep and ageing: two sides of one coin? areas are completed and our four scientific research centres of A team led by Professor Gero Miesenböck has published a report in the journal Nature demonstrating how oxidative stress, excellence are now open. believed to be a reason why we age and a cause of degenerative I would like to thank all of our diseases, is also a root cause of sleep. The discovery brings us staff for their commitment to the closer to understanding the still-mysterious function of sleep Department and unfailing hard and offers new hope for the treatment of sleep disorders. work over the past year. www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/sleep-and-ageing-two-sides-of- one-coin David Paterson A Year of Progress © Stefania Cannone / KC Park Cannone / KC © Stefania Iron deficiency linked with a New guidelines for controlling Insights into social influence serious cardiovascular disease pH in cell culture systems bias in children Research led by Associate Professor Due to its powerful effects on biology, A paper led by Associate Professor Kristine Samira Lakhal-Littleton demonstrates pH is the most fundamental chemical Krug sheds light on the development that iron deficiency within the smooth variable that researchers consider when of social influence bias that affects muscle cells of the pulmonary arteries preparing culture media. The Swietach even simple perceptual decisions. It is sufficient to cause pulmonary arterial Group led by Dr Johanna Michl have demonstrates that neurotypical children hypertension, even in the absence of proposed guidelines for improving pH start systematically integrating social anaemia, which is commonly thought control and reproducibility in culture information into their decision-making to be the cause. This discovery could systems, setting the standard for countless from early adolescence, whereas Autistic hold the key to improving treatment laboratories using cell culture and pH children do not. Prof Krug has a legacy of by correcting tissue iron deficiency as a variable that requires control for outstanding research in our Department without targeting anaemia. numerous experiments. and this year takes up a Professorship at the Institute of Biology, Otto-von- www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/lakhal- www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/ Guericke-Universität and Leibniz-Institute littleton-study-reveals-critical- new-guidelines-for-controlling- for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany. link-between-iron-deficiency-and- ph-in-cell-culture-systems- serious-cardiovascular-condition could-improve-reproducibility-in- www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/krug-group- numerous-experiments research-widens-understanding-of- social-influence-bias-in-children © John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Striking evidence into cause of Bestselling guide to human New approach to reducing most common birth defect in metabolism and metabolic damage after a heart attack babies regulation During the emergency procedure used to Dr Duncan Sparrow has collaborated Dr Rhys Evans, Reader in Metabolic reopen the blocked artery causing a heart with the Victor Chang Cardiac Biochemistry, has co-authored the attack, "micro" blood vessels can remain Research Institute to demonstrate fourth edition of “Human Metabolism: constricted leading to significant damage. evidence that some cases of Congenital A Regulatory Perspective” with Emeritus A new study led by Associate Professor Heart Disease may be caused by Professor Keith Frayn. This new edition Neil Herring published in European the combination of genetic and offers a current and integrated review of Heart Journal finds that neurotransmitter environmental factors. Strikingly, each metabolism, explaining difficult concepts Neuropeptide-Y released during the stress factor by itself appears not to cause a in clear and concise terms to provide an of a heart attack binds to a specific receptor birth defect, only when combined. accessible and essential guide to the topic. in the vessels causing them to constrict, and blocking this receptor can minimise the size www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/duncan- www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/bestselling- of a heart attack. sparrow-demonstrates-striking- guide-to-human-metabolism-and- evidence-into-cause-of-most- metabolic-regulation www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/new- common-birth-defect-in-babies approach-to-reducing-damage-after- a-heart-attack An astronaut’s exciting journey Next generation of scientists meet CRISPR NASA astronaut and pioneer physiologist, Dr James (Jim) Pawelczyk from Penn State University, gave an inspiring talk on his mission as part of the STS-90 crew on the US Space Shuttle Columbia in 1998, and the significant challenges facing humans in any future attempt to travel to Mars. An engaged audience ranged from local Year 7 The Department hosted a public understanding of science schoolchildren to professors, event, the Sherrington Prize Lecture, delivered by Dr Jennifer the President of The Physiological Society, as well as our own Doudna ForMemRS on CRISPR Biology and Biotechnology: The students, departmental staff and their families. Future of Genome Editing. Dr Doudna outlined research into www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/an-astronaut2019s-exciting- the innovating family of proteins behind CRISPR-Cas9 gene journey editing to a captivated audience including the University Vice Chancellor, graduate students and local sixth form Biology Inaugural Sir Hans Krebs Lecture students, demonstrating how these transformative technologies are revolutionising the fields of biomedicine and agriculture. www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/next-generation-of-scientists- meet-crispr-pioneer Dr Carla Shatz ForMemRS delivers the 2019 Charles Sherrington Lecture The Department hosted an exciting talk by Dr Carla Shatz ForMemRS on Synapses lost and found: Developmental critical The Department introduced the Sir Hans Krebs Lecture series, periods and Alzheimer’s hosting Dr Jeffrey Friedman ForMemRS for its inaugural year. disease. Sherrington coined Krebs became Oxford’s Whitley Professor of Biochemistry after the phrase “synapse,” which receiving the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his is the focus of her life’s research. Dr Shatz won the 2016 Kavli discovery of the citric acid cycle. Dr Friedman identified leptin, an Prize in Neuroscience for the discovery of mechanisms that adipocyte hormone that regulates food intake and body weight. allow experience and neural activity to remodel brain circuits. www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/jeffrey-friedman-delivers-