News — Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG)

Recharging the battery of the diabetic heart

4 September 2020

A new paper from the Heather and Tyler groups has uncovered the mechanism responsible for reduced energy in the hearts of patients with type 2 diabetes and revealed a new therapeutic strategy to reverse the energy deficit.

Acidic niche keeps lymphatic system in check during immune response

2 September 2020

Collaborative research from a leading US cancer centre and the Swietach Group has found that Low pH in lymph nodes inhibits effector T cells, while still allowing T cell activation.

Genetic study points to cells responsible for Parkinson’s

25 August 2020

New results from a collaborative Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre and Cardiff University study on the cellular origins of Parkinson's could be key to developing new treatments.

Natalie Connor-Robson widens access to STEM skills with In2scienceUK

14 August 2020

OPDC Career Development Fellow Natalie Connor-Robson was first generation in her family to go to university and is now delighted to be sharing STEM career advice with students taking part in the In2scienceUK programme.

How brain networks cooperate to control our sleep

13 August 2020

Two new papers from the Vyazovskiy Group and both Oxford University and international collaborators have made important progress in bridging the gap between the local and global levels of sleep regulation.

Richard Tyser is British Science Association Award Lecturer on finding the first heartbeat

11 August 2020

Congratulations are in order to Dr Richard Tyser, who is the 2020 Charles Darwin Award Lecture winner for Agriculture, Biological and Medical Sciences.

The ethical cost of doing nothing

7 August 2020

In the wake of concern raised about the ethics and risks of performing genetic interventions in macaque monkeys to study models of human neuropsychiatric conditions, Professor Andrew Parker analyses how decision makers evaluate these situations and highlights the ethical consequences if research is not carried out.

Robin Klemm charts the expanding frontiers of lipid biology

7 August 2020

Associate Professor Robin Klemm has edited a special issue for Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology. “The molecular cell biology, metabolism and physiological functions of lipid droplets” provides an overview of the most recent developments in the field of lipid droplets, which are important storage organelles at the centre of lipid and energy homeostasis. Prof Klemm joined DPAG in June 2020, bringing with him a new field of research for the department, focusing on the molecular basis of lipid metabolism in professional fat storing cells called adipocytes. His research will impact our basic understanding of the cellular basis of fat metabolism and could lead to innovative new therapies to tackle metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes and obesity.

Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre pays tribute to one of its loyal fundraisers

30 July 2020

Researchers from the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre (OPDC) have been paying tribute to Bobbie Coelho, one of the OPDC’s long term fundraisers who has decided to take a step back from active fundraising activities.

3D printing for brain repair

29 July 2020

An in-depth look into a collaborative DPAG, Chemistry and Oxford Martin School project pioneering a radical new approach in which the brain is repaired with 3D-printed neural tissues.

Researchers discover cell communication mechanism that drives cancer adaptation

28 July 2020

Collaborative Cancer Research UK-funded studies from DPAG and Oncology researchers have uncovered a new mechanism by which cancer cells adapt to the stresses they encounter as they grow and respond to therapies.

Black In Neuro Week: Dayne Beccano-Kelly on race, academia and research

28 July 2020

Black In Neuro Week 2020 is dedicated to celebrating black excellence in neuroscience related fields. Daily social media campaigns highlight key issues and amplify the voices of the Black In Neuro community - #NeuroRacism is the focus of Tuesday 28 July. OPDC Career Development Fellow in Neurobiology Dr Dayne Beccano-Kelly has shared his experience as a black professional working in Parkinson's research in a timely article published in Parkinson's Life.

Annual Report 2019 - 2020

23 July 2020

The Department's Annual Report for the academic year 2019-2020 has been released. The brochure showcases a selection of the year's highlights; from a cross-section of our cutting-edge research, to notable events hosting distinguished international scholars, to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New evidence against one proposed mechanism of hypoxia in COVID-19

20 July 2020

DPAG is among the departments receiving funding from the University's research respond fund to undertake COVID-19 research. As part of this effort, the Swietach lab has been studying oxygen transport in the blood of COVID-19 patients. The first results of this study are now published in the British Journal of Haematology and could pave the way for new guidelines for treating the virus.

Take part in the first ever British Indian Census!

13 July 2020

Researchers from DPAG and the Department of Psychiatry, including Dr Nikita Ved, in collaboration with The India League, are calling British Indians to voice their opinions and be a part of a seminal piece of work.

New DPAG Associate Professors and University Research Lecturer

6 July 2020

Congratulations are in order to Associate Professor Duncan Sparrow, Associate Professor Kerry Walker and Dr Dan Li.

Shaping our understanding of why we sleep

1 July 2020

Associate Professor Vladyslav Vyazovskiy has edited a special issue of Current Opinion of Physiology with Professor A. Jennifer Morton from the University of Cambridge. “Physiology of Sleep” compiles the latest developments in sleep research around the complex question of ‘why do we sleep?’

Sherrington Talks 2020 Prize Winners

22 June 2020

The 2020 Sherrington talks were presented by graduate students in their third year of DPhil research study.

Samira Lakhal-Littleton to give prestigious Bayliss-Starling Prize Lecture

19 June 2020

The annual Prize Lecture from The Physiological Society will provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of the Lakhal-Littleton lab's work into iron control in systems physiology.

Assumptions on fetal iron development during pregnancy challenged

18 June 2020

A key hormone in the fetal liver has been found for the first time to play a critical role in determining iron endowment in the newborn baby. Up until now, widely held notions made in comparison to how the adult liver controls iron in the body have led to a common focus on how maternal iron status and function of the placenta determines a baby's iron status. A new study from the Lakhal-Littleton group reveals a more autonomous process takes place within the fetus than previously understood.