Celebrating success
Two academics from the University have been awarded prestigious UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships, for impactful research into nuclear decommissioning, and nuclear arms control and disarmament.
Dr Joy Farnaby of the School of Chemistry was awarded £1.2 million to address nuclear industry technical challenges and underlying knowledge gaps in fundamental actinide (uranium and plutonium) chemistry, critical to the management of the UK’s civil plutonium inventory. Her work aims to provide cutting-edge chemical and physical understanding of actinide reactivity and structure-property relationships. In partnership with key stakeholders, these data will ultimately contribute to the scientific evidence base for UK government decision-making on future inventory management.
Dr Rhys Crilley of the School of Social & Political Sciences received £1.1 million to examine how nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts can be developed to reduce and avert the risk of nuclear conflict, in a time of rising tension between nuclear weapon states. His project will investigate how the legitimacy of nuclear weapons is communicated and contested, and explore ways that the risk of nuclear war can be mitigated through improving nuclear arms control and disarmament advocacy and mechanisms, so that they gain more international support.
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Professor David Cumming of the James Watt School of Engineering has been awarded the Institution of Engineering & Technology's Achievement Medal in Electronics. Professor Cumming’s award recognises his groundbreaking work on semiconductor sensors and microsystems integration, which has been published in more than 300 papers. His work includes the development of the CMOS ion sensor arrays that enabled the revolutionary Ion Torrent gene sequencing system. He leads the University’s Microsystems Technology research group, which focuses on new developments in medical sensors and systems, lab-in-a-pill devices, terahertz technology, nanotechnology, and photonics, including metamaterials and surface plasmon resonance.
Dr Luke Daly of the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences has received a prestigious award from the Mineralogical Society. He has been announced as the 2024 recipient of the Society’s Max Hey Medal. Since 1993, the medal has been presented to young researchers in recognition of excellent work in the fields of mineralogy, crystallography, petrology and geochemistry.
Cancer scientist Dr Payam Gammage has been selected as one of just 26 scientists to join the prestigious EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation) Young Investigator Programme – an initiative that supports excellent young group leaders in the early stages of their independent careers. Dr Gammage has been selected for his important work into mitochondrial genetics and metabolism in cancer. Mitochondria – the powerhouses of our cells – are responsible for producing the energy our cells need to function and survive. However, mitochondrial dysregulation and dysfunction are often observed in cancers, with mutations of mitochondrial DNA found in approximately 60% of all solid tumours. Dr Gammage and his team work to better understand the role mitochondria play in human cancer, including the development and progression of disease.
Professor Mike Lean, along with his long-time collaborator Professor Roy Taylor from Newcastle University, have been awarded the 2024 Rank Prize for Nutrition for transforming the lives of thousands with their groundbreaking work on dietary approaches to type 2 diabetes remission.Their research has furthered understanding of how type 2 diabetes develops, and has shown for the first time that remission from type 2 diabetes is possible for some by following a low-energy weight management programme. Their research is transforming services for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Professor of Political Economy Robert McMaster has been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. The Adam Smith Business School academic joins a prestigious community of leading social scientists from across the UK who are elected for their substantial contributions to social science.
Professor of Metabolic Medicine Naveed Sattar has been appointed as the UK Government’s new Obesity Mission Chair. Building on over 25 years academic experience and expertise, Professor Sattar will drive forward UK efforts to explore how promising innovations can be accelerated to improve long-term health outcomes for people living with obesity and associated conditions, including cardiovascular disease. As Obesity Mission Chair he will also ensure that the UK is a world-class location to trial, pilot and roll out medical innovation, benefitting patients and the NHS.
Professor Marian Scott of the School of Mathematics & Statistics has been appointed to the Natural Environment Research Council’s Science Committee. Professor Scott’s research applies statistical methods to the environmental sciences, including the monitoring of air and water quality, the design of monitoring networks and environmental indicators, and quantifying the state of the environment. Professor Scott has published more than 200 papers, and is a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council. She was awarded an OBE in 2009 for her contributions to science and was presented with the Royal Statistical Society’s Barnett award in 2019 for her work in environmental statistics.
Professor Mark Symes of the School of Chemistry has been announced as one of the founding programme directors of the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA), a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. ARIA aims to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs to benefit everyone in the UK. Each programme director will set out to develop a vision of what the future will look like. Professor Symes’ academic research interests focus on energy conversion and the production of green fuels. He is also a co-founder of Clyde Hydrogen Systems Ltd, a spin-out in the green hydrogen space.