Artemisinins are very poweful tools in the treatment of malaria, and the emerging loss of their activity has the potential to create a major public health problem. MALARIA TREATMENTDr Charlie Woodrow is based at MORU in Bangkok, Thailand, where he coordinates clinical and laboratory studies on resistance to artemisinins. Bringing together diverse datasets of clinical, in vitro and molecular data has helped better understand the emerging resistance, particularly in Myanmar.

Artemisinins are very poweful tools in the treatment of malaria, and the emerging loss of their activity has the potential to create a major public health problem. MALARIA TREATMENT Dr Charlie Woodrow is based at MORU in Bangkok, Thailand, where he coordinates clinical and laboratory studies on resistance to artemisinins. Bringing together diverse datasets of clinical, in vitro and molecular data has helped better understand the emerging resistance, particularly in Myanmar.

Artemisinin Resistance 

Identifying and addressing ethical issues are key to the success of any clinical trials, particularly when working with vulnerable populations. Dr Phaik Yeong Cheah leads the Department of Bioethics &amp; Engagement at the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) in Thailand. She is particularly interested in ethical issues in community engagement, data sharing, consent and assent in paediatric research.

The ethics of research 

In settings with high level of poverty and over-stretched health services, researchers have even greater responsibilities to the communities and study participants.  SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCHA social scientist and public health researcher based in Kenya, Professor Vicki Marsh aims to understand and strenghten policies based on social and ethical aspects of international collaborations. Improving communications between researchers and the patients and local communities is not only ethically important; it can also lead to better research.

In settings with high level of poverty and over-stretched health services, researchers have even greater responsibilities to the communities and study participants. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH A social scientist and public health researcher based in Kenya, Professor Vicki Marsh aims to understand and strenghten policies based on social and ethical aspects of international collaborations. Improving communications between researchers and the patients and local communities is not only ethically important; it can also lead to better research.

Science and Society 

Melanoma or skin cancer is one of the fastest rising cancer types. When identified early, melanoma is relatively easy to cure, but once it starts to metastasise, it becomes very difficult to treat. DEREGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTIONThe interface between signal transduction and transcription regulation coordinates gene expression. Deregulation of transcription is a key factor in cancer. Professor Colin Goding studies how a precise programme of transcription regulation is achieved, particularly in the transition between normal and cancer stem cells, and the parallels with normal stem cell populations.

Melanoma or skin cancer is one of the fastest rising cancer types. When identified early, melanoma is relatively easy to cure, but once it starts to metastasise, it becomes very difficult to treat. DEREGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTION The interface between signal transduction and transcription regulation coordinates gene expression. Deregulation of transcription is a key factor in cancer. Professor Colin Goding studies how a precise programme of transcription regulation is achieved, particularly in the transition between normal and cancer stem cells, and the parallels with normal stem cell populations.

Melanoma 

Transcription is a tightly regulated process, where chemical modifications initiate the duplication of genetic material. This epigenetic process is often dysregulated in cancer, but it can be targeted with small molecule inhibitors. EPIGENETIC SIGNALLINGProfessor Panagis Filippakopoulos is interested in the molecular mechanisms of transcription, where the formation of non-covalent protein complexes is mediated by post-translational modifications. Dysfunction in this epigenetic signalling process is linked to disease, particularly cancer.

Transcription is a tightly regulated process, where chemical modifications initiate the duplication of genetic material. This epigenetic process is often dysregulated in cancer, but it can be targeted with small molecule inhibitors. EPIGENETIC SIGNALLING Professor Panagis Filippakopoulos is interested in the molecular mechanisms of transcription, where the formation of non-covalent protein complexes is mediated by post-translational modifications. Dysfunction in this epigenetic signalling process is linked to disease, particularly cancer.

Targeting epigenetics to treat cancer 

Asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are common conditions that affect the lives of many people. Dr Mona Bafadhel studies the pathophysiology of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). There are broadly two inflammatory phenotypes of COPD that are clinically indistinguishable but have different treatment responses. Dr Bafadhel is working on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for COPD, particularly to treat the regular periods of worsened symptoms that patients experience.

A deep breath in 

Alteration of gene expression is fundamental to many diseases. A better understanding of how epigenetic proteins affect diseases provides a starting point for therapy development and the discovery of new drug. Professor Paul Brennan research focusses on epigenetics: the mechanisms that control gene expression. He studies how chemical probes interfere with epigenetic enyzmes that can be targeted to treat various diseases. Epigenetics combined with disease biology will ultimately accelerate drug discovery.

Chemistry, epigenetics and drugs 

A missing step in a metabolic pathway leads to the build-up of toxic compounds, and the lack of materials essential for normal function. Professor Wyatt Yue explores how genetic defects lead to disease at the molecular level, by determining 3D structures and biochemical properties of enzymes and protein complexes linked to congenital genetic errors. Professor Yue works closely with clinicians and paediatricians to decipher the underlying genetic, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of these diseases. His long-term aim is to help design novel therapeutic approaches for metabolic diseases.

The genetics of metabolic diseases 

Economics and health are interlinked in many ways, as seen in the vicious cycle between poverty and ill health. Dr Yoel Lubell leads the economic team at the MORU Mathematical and Economic Modelling Group, based in Bangkok, Thailand. His research focuses on the evaluation of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for infectious diseases, with the aim of providing guidance on malaria elimination and control of artemisinin resistance in the Mekong region.

The economics of tropical diseases 

Too high a dose can result in toxicity and side-effects, too low a dose can cause the illness to come back and at worse develop resistance. Professor Joel Tarning is Head of Clinical Pharmacology in our MORU Unit in Bangkok, Thailand. He's working towards drug dose-optimisation using novel pharmacometric modelling approaches. He is particularly interested in antimalarial treatments for children and pregnant women.

Getting the dose right 

Research in Medicine needs to ultimately translate into better treatment of patients. Researchers at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, collaborate to develop better care and improved preventive measures. Findings in the laboratory are translated into changes in clinical practice, from Bench to Bedside.

Translational Medicine

Professor Xin Lu talks about the links between cancer and regenerative medicine. Professor Xin Lu is the Director of the Oxford branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Her lab works toward identifying molecular mechanisms that suppress tumour growth and metastasis and focuses on understanding the factors that lead to uncontrollable cell growth.

Cancer and regenerative medicine 

Professor Peter Donnelly tells us how genetics helps us to understand common diseases and develop new drugs. Understanding which variations in our DNA affect susceptibility to diseases can provide new insights into the disease process and lead to new treatments. Professor Peter Donnelly leads large collaborative human genetic studies, and his group develops and applies statistical methods to extract maximal information from the large datasets generated by genomic studies.

Human Genetics 

Professor Jonathan Flint talks about his research on psychiatric genetics. It is now known that genetic variants can form the basis of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Professor Jonathan Flint is investigating the genetics behind psychiatric disorders, in particular the origins of stress-related conditions, such as anxiety and depression, for which we have relatively ineffective treatments.

Psychiatric genetics 

Professor Vincenzo Cerundolo tells us how research in immunology leads to the development of new cancer treatments. Immunotherapy stimulates the bodys immune system and can be a powerful treatment for cancer. With the aim of developing better treatment strategies for cancer patients, Professor Vincenzo Cerundolo is working to gain a better understanding of the cell-to-cell interplay required for optimal expansion and activation of tumour-specific T cell populations.

Cancer Immunlogy 

Dr Richard Antrobus talks about his research in the development of a universal flu vaccine. Dr Antrobus has been conducting a Phase I study of a Universal Vaccine for Influenza. Progress so far indicates that this approach induces a potent T cell response, and Dr Antrobus is currently assessing whether this response is equally potent in the elderly - one of the 'at risk' groups of the Influenza virus.

Universal Flu Vaccine 

The largest trial investigating the benefits of cholesterol lowering in kidney patients. The Study of Heart and Renal Protection (SHARP) concluded that around a quarter of all heart attacks, strokes, and operations to open blocked arteries could be avoided in people with chronic kidney disease by using the combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Lowering cholesterol in chronic kidney disease 

Dr Holm Uhlig talks about the role of the immune system in our gastrointestinal tract. Dr Holm Uhlig is based at the Translational Gastroenterology Unit and studies defects in the immune response and regulation leading to immunopathology. Dr Uhlig is interested in children with inflammatory bowel disease, and aims to understand the complex puzzle of molecular mechanisms involved.

Immune System in the Gastrointestinal tract 

Dr Leanne Hodson talks about her research on liver fat metabolism. Dr Leanne Hodson's research focuses on fatty liver disease, defined as having over 5 percent liver fat, and a 'silent disease' as many people are not diagnosed. Dr Hodson aims to find targets for new medications which will help lower the risk of accumulating liver fat.

Liver Fat Metabolism 

Dr Sebastian Nijman develops new approaches to study signalling networks in cancer cells and uncover specific weaknesses, particularly in breast and lung cancer. This can be used to develop more effective drugs and to better guide treatment decisions. In the context of cancer, genetic diversity means that we respond differently to various treatments. Pharmacogenomics sits at the intersection between genetics and drugs. Better understanding of the genetic landscape of cancer and the recent increase of targeted drugs allow us to better match patients with the best treatments, improving care.

Pharmacogenomics 

Cancer research now generates huge amounts of data, and sophisticated computational tools are needed to answer biological questions. Making sense of this variability at molecular level will help us better tailor treatments to individual cancer patients. Dr Benjamin Schuster-Böckler heads the computational group at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. His work has demonstrated that epigenetic modifications influence the mutational landscape in cancer cells. He studies the effects of DNA-binding proteins on transcription factors, with the aim to understand the regulation (and mis-regulation) of the transcription of important oncogenes and tumour suppressors.

Cancer Informatics 

Video microscopy aims to improve target discovery and drug development and to do so generates large volumes of data. Professor Jens Rittscher has a joint appointment between the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the Target Discovery Institute and the Department of Engineering Science. His research aims to enhance our understanding of complex biological processes through the analysis of image data acquired at the microscopic scale.

Biological imaging 

Professor Stephen Gough talks about the development of personalised diabetes treatment. Prof. Stephen Gough believes that you cannot give every patient affected by diabetes the same treatment; where people react differently to treatments provides a background to his research. Prof. Gough aims to provide the right treatment to the right person at the right time in their disease for optimum results.

Personalised Diabetes Treatment 

Dr Katharine Owen talks about the different types of Diabetes in young adults. There are more forms of diabetes than the commonly known type 1 and type 2.  Dr Katherine Owen investigates the different characteristics of monogenic diabetes with the aim of creating systematic diagnostics for aetiology of diabetes, and implementing that in clinical care.  The ultimate aim is to promote personalized medicine for everybody with diabetes.

Diabetes in Young Adults 

Dr Najib Rahman talks about his research on respiratory medicine. The Pleura are thin membranes that cover the surface of the lungs. Dr Najib Rahman specialises in areas of respiratory medicine including pleural disease and the conduct and analysis of respiratory trials. Dr Rahman is currently conducting clinical studies in malignant and infectious pleural disease, and is Clinical Director of the Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit.

Respiratory Medicine 

Professor Richard Cornall tells us about his research on autoimmunity. Professor Richard Cornall aims to understand the causes of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity occurs when the immune system which is normally designed to attack pathogens ends up attacking the body.  Professor Cornall is also interested in how people differ in their inherited susceptibility and why these differences are sustained in human populations by natural selection.

Autoimmunity 

Colin Baigent, Professor of Epidemiology, Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford, talks about why the drug Statin saves lives.

Wider Statin Use Saves Lives 

Dr Simon Travis tells us how clinical trials bring tomorrows treatments to patients today. Before translating basic research into the clinic it is important first to undergo clinical trials in order to identify safe treatments and therapies for disease. Led by Dr Simon Travis the Gastroenterology Clinical Trials Facility at Oxford University works to translate basic research into clinical trials of novel therapies for gastrointestinal and liver diseases.

Clinical Trials in Gastroenterology 

Dr Liz Carpenter talks about her research on membrane proteins and drug development. Membrane proteins are the gateways to our cells - with nutrients, waste products, and even DNA and proteins entering and leaving cells via these tightly controlled proteins. Drugs often target membrane proteins; therefore, understanding their molecular structure helps us design better drugs. Dr Liz Carpenter uses X-ray crystallography to solve membrane protein structures. This information is then used to improve treatments for heart disease and neurological diseases.

Membrane proteins and drug development 

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