Congratulations are in order for Professor Pawel Swietach, who has received a Fulbright Award to enable a period of research in the USA on one of the most well-regarded and impacting scholarship programmes in the world.
Pawel’s CRUK Fulbright Award will enable him to undertake a research study at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa Florida. There, Pawel will study the acid-base chemistry of tumours using state-of-the-art imaging modalities and contribute towards efforts for implementing mathematical models that improve the efficacy of chemotherapy regimes in trials.
During the visit, Pawel hopes to capitalise on new collaborative opportunities between our Department and Moffitt, an innovator in cancer treatment and prevention. He is particularly keen to foster graduate exchanges between Oxford and our US partner.
As part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar programme, the Scholar Awards provide the only scholarships available to academics and other professionals for lecturing and/or research in any discipline at any accredited US university. The Awards form part of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s work to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.
Pawel, and the other 45 UK-based grantees of the 2018-19 Fulbright cohort will celebrate their success at a reception hosted by the US Embassy in June.
Penny Egan CBE, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said:
“In the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s 70th year, we can look back on the lasting impact that more than 27,000 educational exchanges between Brits and Americans have had – both on participants and on our two countries. We know that this cohort of Scholars will make the most of this opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture, develop ongoing partnerships, and move us closer to fulfilling Senator Fulbright’s vision of a world of peace and prosperity through greater understanding between our peoples.”
Pawel heads a research group studying the effects of acid-base disorders on human health. The two main pillars of his work relate to cancer and cardiovascular physiology, funded by grants from the European Union and the British Heart Foundation.
The group investigates how acidity in tumours - a common feature of tumours - contributes to cancer progression, and how changes in pH control in the heart - triggered by stresses or metabolic disturbances - contributes to cardiac diseases.
Pawel is delighted that on this occasion, the UK Commission has agreed to award a CRUK-Fulbright Scholarship to an EU citizen, and he hopes to be a good ambassador for European and British science in America. The Scholarship will take Pawel to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, where he will work on new ways of imaging and exploiting the acidic tumour acidic microenvironment for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. There, he will also contribute towards ongoing efforts to implement mathematical models for improving the efficacy of therapeutic regimes.
Full details regarding the Awards, including the selection criteria, benefits and Awards categories, can be found on their website.