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

Fluorescent close up of the fly brain showing that a key magnesium transporter dominates the neurons involved in memory.

A clue to how a memory-enhancing pill might work

27 November 2020

Hundreds of dietary supplements have been reported to improve cognitive and emotional function in humans, but few have scientific foundation. A new study from the Waddell group provides fresh insight into how dietary Magnesium supplementation can influence memory performance.

New MRI technique could detect early signs of heart failure in cancer patients following chemotherapy

19 November 2020

New research led by Oxford BHF CRE Intermediate Transition Fellow Dr Kerstin Timm shows that a recently developed imaging technique pioneered by the Tyler Group can detect early metabolic changes in the heart caused by a commonly used chemotherapy drug, which is known to increase risk of heart failure in cancer survivors.

Two major BHF awards to Neil Herring pave the way to new treatments for heart attack patients

12 November 2020

Associate Professor Neil Herring has been awarded a Senior Clinical Research Fellowship and a Project grant from the British Heart Foundation to further critical research into the mechanisms behind heart attacks and heart failure and potential drugs to combat them. Given the 50% reduction in research investment this year from the BHF due to the impact of COVID-19, Prof Herring is to be congratulated on these awards.

Pawel Swietach becomes Professor Pawel Swietach

30 October 2020

Congratulations are in order to Pawel Swietach on his conferral of the title of full Professor. Research in the Swietach Lab is driven by an interest in how biological processes are affected by chemical acidity.

MRC Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship awarded to Samira Lakhal-Littleton

27 October 2020

Congratulations are in order for Associate Professor Samira Lakhal-Littleton, who has been awarded a Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship by the Medical Research Council to further her lab's work exploring the implications of the cardiac hepcidin/ferroportin axis for the management of iron deficiency in heart failure.

Researchers reveal surprising simplicity behind our ability to hear

26 October 2020

A computational modelling study from the King Group demonstrates that the way sounds are transformed from the ear to the brain’s auditory cortex may be simpler than expected. These findings not only highlight the value of computational modelling for determining the principles underlying neural processing, but could also be useful for improving treatments for patients with hearing loss.

100 Years of Oxford Degrees for Women

23 October 2020

Meet four of DPAG's female graduate students as the department joins celebrations for the Centenary of women making history at Oxford.

Damaged mitochondria are shown to scale in small areas within the centre and edges of a large mass of healthy mitochondria.

New insights into mitochondria quality control could hold the key to treating metabolic disorders

21 October 2020

The Zaccolo Group has identified a new mechanism that regulates mitochondria quality control, a process that is crucial to maintaining healthy cells and preventing disease.

‘Junk’ DNA could be rewiring our brains

16 October 2020

A new study by Waddell Group Neuroscientists at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour shows that mobile genetic elements that were active in the genomes of our ancestors could be closely linked to important functions in our brain and might help diversify our behaviour, cognition and emotions.

Dayne Beccano-Kelly awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship

16 October 2020

New Future Leaders Fellow Dr Beccano-Kelly will lead research into synaptic health over time in neurodegeneration. Watch our video interview with Dayne to find out more about his career to date, successful application and future plans.

Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft receives Society for Endocrinology's highest accolade

16 October 2020

Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft has been presented with the 2020 Dale Medal from the leading institution known as the UK home of endocrinology.

Lukas Krone honoured by the World Sleep Society

16 October 2020

Congratulations are in order for Lukas Krone, who has been presented the 2020 Christian Guilleminault Young Investigator Award by the World Sleep Society.

Overlaid silhouettes of adult, adolescent, infant and baby craniums, highlighting neuronal circuits in their brains.

The transient blueprint of the brain

16 October 2020

Transient neurones match the spontaneous and sensory driven activities to shape cortical circuits: a landmark collaborative review published in Science from Professor Zoltán Molnár, Professor Patrick Kanold and Professor Heiko Luhmann.

Renewal of Athena SWAN Silver award for DPAG

15 October 2020

Head of Department Professor David Paterson announces the renewal of DPAG's Athena SWAN Silver award for the department's commitment to an inclusive and diverse working environment and the progression of the careers of women in science.

Paul Riley appointed Director of Oxford’s Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine

9 October 2020

Professor Paul Riley will lead the scientific vision of the first institute of its kind in the world to physically merge the disciplines of developmental biology and regenerative medicine in a common goal to treat some of the world’s most prolific diseases.

Ana Domingos joins the Cell Metabolism Advisory Board

6 October 2020

Congratulations are in order to Associate Professor Ana Domingos on her appointment to the Advisory Board of the top research journal dedicated to publishing novel, impactful papers spanning basic to clinical metabolic research.

Sonali Munshaw is an IVBM E-poster Award Winner

2 October 2020

Congratulations are in order to Graduate Student Sonali Munshaw, whose abstract submitted to the 21st International Vascular Biology meeting was selected for E-Poster presentation and awarded.

Striatal immunofluorescence signals for astrocyte marker S100β and neuronal marker NeuN

Sites of early dysfunction in Parkinson's identified

2 October 2020

A new collaborative study from the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre led by Prof Stephanie Cragg and Dr Bradley Roberts has revealed that GABA transporters on astrocytes, the brain's lesser known yet critically important cells, support dopamine release and are sites of early dysfunction in parkinsonism.

Tiny brain “tweezers” could hold the key to treat Parkinson’s

28 September 2020

A collaborative study led by the OPDC's Dr Nora Bengoa-Vergniory has shown that compounds known as molecular tweezers could become a promising disease modifying therapy for Parkinson’s.

Einstein Visiting Fellowship awarded to Zoltán Molnár

24 September 2020

Professor Zoltán Molnár has been awarded an Einstein Visiting Fellowship to Charité - University Medicine, Berlin. This award sees him join the dynamic Oxford | Berlin collaboration, a strategic research partnership that supports high quality joint research initiatives across all disciplines of its member institutions, of which Neuroscience is a major focus.