MRC talks

Professor Chris Ponting, computational biologist, is interviewed by Isabel Harding. Chris gave up biology at the age of 16 to focus on physics. But after finishing his Masters, he changed his mind and decided to follow his gut instinct – going back into biology via a degree in biophysics. He then specialised in bioinformatics and genomics. Chris and his team are looking at ways to improve human health, and find new ways to treat disease, by looking at how single letter changes in our DNA affect our disease risk. At the intersection between population scale and molecular data, Chris leads a fellow’s programme, training people with PhDs in physics, maths, statistics and engineering, to work on biological puzzles. In this episode, he explains how by bringing people together with different skills and perspectives, he hopes to change biology and medicine for the better – while also enriching people’s careers. View the transcript: https://mrc.io/2RWanFO Producer: Isabel Harding Presenter: Debs Barber Editor: Hasina Sacranie Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Caroline Relton, population health scientist, is interviewed by Debs Barber. Today she’s a highly-respected scientist and research group leader, but Caroline first set off down another career path. Caroline’s love of science led her to study for a degree in applied biology and nutritional science, followed by the pursuit of a different passion – teaching. Ultimately, after completing her PGCE and teaching in a secondary school for five years, she decided that academia was her true calling and returned to university to do a PhD in molecular genetics. Caroline and her research group use the tools and methods of population-based research for understanding the role of epigenetics – changes to the way genes are read by cells – in health and disease. In this episode, she shares how educating teenagers equipped her with valuable skills as a scientist, her tips on forging a successful career and why she believes in a whole team approach to science. View the transcript: https://mrc.io/2QLP2xZ Presenter and Editor: Hasina Sacranie Producer: Debs Barber Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Toby Jenkins, biophysical chemist, is interviewed by Petra Kiviniemi. Professor Toby Jenkins is fascinated by bacterial and fungal infection of humans, particularly wounds and bladders. When beginning his research, he’d assumed that all clinicians and microbiologists understood what was happening in an infected wound. But the more he drilled into the subject, the more he realised how little we understand about infection. Using his love of building things and science, he’s creating materials and medical devices that detect infection. He’s also designing systems that can control the release of drugs to combat disease. His interdisciplinary team consists of material scientists, engineers, chemists and microbiologists. They work closely with clinicians, including the burns team at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Together, they’ve been developing an advanced wound dressing that glows under UV light if the wound is infected. Here Toby tells us about the importance of teaching, failure, and his bacterial ‘death ray’ side project. View the transcript: https://mrc.io/2H8605l Presenter: Isabel Harding Producers and Editors: Petra Kiviniemi & Hasina Sacranie Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Mark Skehel, technology specialist, is interviewed by Isabel Harding. A born scientist – thanks to his father’s influence – Mark has a job that allows him to play with big bits of equipment, as well as do his own biomedical research. His high-tech instruments help fellow scientists identify proteins from complex biological mixtures. ‘Mass spectrometry’ – or ‘mass spec’ for short – is a sensitive technique used to detect, identify and measure molecules based on their mass-to-charge ratio. Studying our biology at a molecular level helps scientists understand how our bodies work when healthy, what goes wrong in disease, and how we might fix disease pathways. His attitude of “Don’t be afraid of change – embrace it!” has served him well. By moving between industry and academia, he’s learnt transferable skills allowing him to help solve difficult biological problems. His experience proves that you can move around and change paths at any point in your career. Find out more about Mark’s work on our blog: mrc.ukri.org/blog View the transcript: mrc.io/2WJHkX6 Presenter and Editor: Hasina Sacranie Producer: Isabel Harding Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Fiona Watt, stem cell scientist, is interviewed by Isabel Harding. Fiona’s love of animals led her to study zoology at the University of Cambridge, where she discovered the topic she’s dedicated her career to studying: cell biology. Director of the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at King's College London, Fiona is fascinated by stem cells – cells that give rise to all cell types in our bodies. She’s made important discoveries about their behaviour, including how the normal connections between skin cells go awry in cancer and skin disease. Inspired by combining her love of science with practical benefit, she wants to see cell therapies developed to help treat patients - including those affected by disfiguring scars that restrict movement. In her role as Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, Fiona leads on talent and skills. She’s committed to tackling gender issues in science and helping junior scientists progress in their careers. Find out more about Fiona’s work on our blog: mrc.ukri.org/blog View the transcript: mrc.io/2NKvHMd Presenter and Editor: Hasina Sacranie Producer: Isabel Harding Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Nita Forouhi, nutrition scientist, is interviewed by Isabel Harding. Nita trained as a doctor, but while treating patients with diabetes she realised this wasn’t enough. She wanted to find out what causes diabetes and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. She looks at something that matters to us all but is notoriously hard to study: the food we eat and how it affects our health. Inspired by studying the diets and biology of large populations, she’s shown how sugary drinks and specific types of dietary fat can increase our risk of disease. An advocate for good, solid evidence – and a passionate champion for equality, diversity and inclusion in science – she hopes that one day she’ll be able to give people personalised nutrition advice. Find out more about Nita’s work: mrc.ukri.org/blog View the transcript: mrc.io/2C5aHve Producer and presenter: Isabel Harding Producer and editor: Hasina Sacranie Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Daniel Freeman, clinical psychologist, is interviewed by Debs Barber. Daniel studied natural sciences at university but then discovered his passion for psychology. Working in mental health services in the NHS he spent a lot of time listening to the experiences of his patients. This inspired him to try and understand what causes mental health disorders, to develop better treatments. Now a world pioneer in using virtual reality (VR) technology, Daniel thinks it has the potential to change mental health treatment in the future. Over the past 15 years he’s worked with interdisciplinary teams of researchers and game designers to create virtual environments which help patients experiencing delusions cope better with challenging situations in their day to day lives. In a new study he’s testing automated VR treatment for psychosis, with the hope of enabling state-of-the-art VR therapy for mental health issues to be delivered by the NHS. Find out more about Daniel’s MRC-funded THRIVE study: https://gamechangevr.com/thrive View the transcript: mrc.io/2TiH0RK Presenter: Isabel Harding Producers: Hasina Sacranie and Debs Barber Editor: Hasina Sacranie Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0

Our Max Perutz Science Writing Award 2018 is open. To help entrants, in this episode we speak to last year's winner and runners up for hints and tips on science writing. This year's competition closes on 4 July 2018. See details of the competition at: https://mrc.ukri.org/maxperutz/ Episode transcript here: https://mrc.ukri.org/documents/pdf/episode-13-max-pertuz-award-science-writing-tips-transcript/ Produced by Isabel Harding and Hasina Sacranie, and edited by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

We bring you the second of two episodes highlighting research helping young people affected by poor mental health. One of the ways MRC-funded researchers are doing this, is through the use of digital technology. Scientists from the University of Manchester have developed a smartphone app to help people with psychosis. Hasina Sacranie talks to clinical psychologist and Senior Lecturer Dr Sandra Bucci about how she and her team developed the app. Read the updated MRC Strategy for Lifelong Mental Health Research on our website: mrc.ukri.org/mentalhealth Read more on our blog: www.insight.mrc.ac.uk/2017/08/14/connecting-with-help/ Produced by Isabel Harding and Hasina Sacranie, and edited by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

We bring you the first of two episodes highlighting research helping young people affected by poor mental health. Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Alan Stein is helping HIV-positive women with depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period. By improving their wellbeing he wants to help their children get the best start in life. He explains what his team has achieved so far in South Africa and the global implications of this work. Read the updated MRC Strategy for Lifelong Mental Health Research on our website: www.mrc.ac.uk/mentalhealth Read more on our blog: www.insight.mrc.ac.uk/2017/08/04/supporting-mothers-hiv-depression Produced by Isabel Baker and Hasina Sacranie, and edited by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

MRC Science Content Editor Isabel Baker interviews Professor Peter Openshaw, Professor of Experimental Medicine at Imperial College London and President of the British Society for Immunology.

MRC Science Content Editor Sarah Harrop interviews developmental biologist and gene editing pioneer Dr Kathy Niakan,

In this episode we bring you a special feature about the godfather of molecular biology, Max Perutz, and why we named a science writing competition in his honour. To celebrate Max’s passion and skill at making science understandable, in 1998 the MRC launched a science writing competition in his honour. Since then, thousands of early career researchers have followed in Max’s footsteps by entering the Max Perutz Science Writing Award. Listen to the 2016 award-winning article and hear an interview with the winner, PhD student Liza Selley from the MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College London. The competition is open to MRC-funded PhD students and closes at 5pm on Tuesday 4 July 2017. Read more on our website www.mrc.ac.uk/maxperutz Produced by Isabel Baker, Sarah Harrop and Hasina Sacranie, and edited by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

In this episode we focus on interdisciplinary research, exploring how MRC scientists are bringing together different fields to improve human health. We head over to the new Francis Crick Institute in London, a brand new biomedical institute housing the best minds in different fields under one roof. We hear what it’s like to work in an interdisciplinary team looking for signs of Alzheimer’s disease earlier than ever before in the disease course. And we track down some MRC-Newton Fund scientists tackling health research challenges on a global scale. Read more about all topics on our blog insight.mrc.ac.uk and website www.mrc.ac.uk Produced by Isabel Baker, Sylvia Kruiniger and Hasina Sacranie, and edited by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" and "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

In this episode Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador Keith Oliver describes how his world changed when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 55. He shares his hopes for the new MRC-led UK Dementia Research Institute which has received £50m backing from both the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s UK. Paracetamol is usually safe and effective, but overdose can damage the liver and in 2014 was attributed to 200 deaths in the UK. Hear how MRC scientists are testing a new treatment using liver cells grown from stem cells. We visit the MRC Weatherall Insitute for Molecular Medicine in Oxford to find out how single cell technology is changing our understanding of biology. And we ask fellows at the annual MRC Fellows symposium for tips on preparing grant applications, and dealing with rejection. Read more about all topics on our blog insight.mrc.ac.uk and in our quarterly magazine www.mrc.ac.uk/network Thanks to contributors Keith Oliver, David Hay, Claus Nerlov, Adam Mead, Roy Drissen, Stefan Marciniak, Luke Munford, Lavinia Paternoster, Chris Toseland, Hayriye Cagnan and Emanuelle Giorgi. MRC talks is presented by Isabel Baker and produced by Hasina Sacranie. Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode we take a tour of the South West Dementia Brain Bank at the University of Bristol, with brain bank manager Dr Laura Palmer. I meet Professor Eleanor Riley, deputy chair of the MRC’s Infection and Immunity Board, to talk about why peer review is important in the funding decision-making process and how scientists can benefit from peer review. And we visit the 70th birthday celebrations of the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, led by director Professor Diana Kuh. You can read the stories in full in our MRC Network magazine, at mrc.ac.uk/network Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode, we explore some of the ways in which the MRC is working with industry to improve both our health and wealth. We hear from Sir Brian Greenwood who was awarded the prestigious MRC Millennium Medal Award in December for his lifetime dedication to improving health in Africa. And we catch up with MRC PhD student Emily Eisner from the University of Manchester, winner of the 2015 MRC Max Perutz Science Writing Award for her outstanding article ‘Premonitions of Psychosis’. You can read the stories in full in our MRC Network magazine, at mrc.ac.uk/network Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode of MRC talks, we look at how a group of scientists at the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit in Bristol are practising open science – the art of making their research freely available online; paediatrician Dr Olubukola Idoko tells us about her working life at MRC Unit, The Gambia; and we head to the MRC Fellows’ Symposium to talk to attendees at this year’s event. Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode of MRC talks, we look at two recent MRC-funded developments in cancer research, one that’s already helping patients to live longer and another which holds promise for the future. And we hear from Cardiologist Professor Stefan Neubauer who has set up a spin-out company based on a new test for chronic liver disease that could cut diagnosis time from months to a single day. Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode of MRC talks, we speak to surgeon Martin Birchall about transplanting the first ever voice boxes grown from stem cells into patients; IVF researcher Eva Hoffmann, who’s trying to find out why mums over 35 are at greater risk of having a baby with Down syndrome; and we hear from scientists who are using mobile phones to improve our health. Music credits: "Clean Soul" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 "Brittle Rille" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode of MRC talks, we bring the crystallography story from the autumn 2014 issue of our quarterly Network magazine to life, by capturing scientific and personal insights from the scientists themselves.

In the first episode of MRC talks, we bring the stories covered in the summer 2014 issue of our quarterly Network magazine to life, by capturing scientific and personal insights from the scientists themselves. We talk to MRC scientists Lori Passmore (1min07), Venki Ramakrishnan (4min25) and Richard Henderson (8min33) about how they are developing and using electron microscopy to obtain structures of proteins at atomic resolution for the first time. MRC Senior Clinical Fellow Dr Richard Coward explains how his clinical work at Bristol Children’s Hospital is helping inform his laboratory research into kidney disease. And in our opinion piece, Dr Anne O’Garra tells us about how she is translating her knowledge of immunology and basic research in the lab into improving the diagnosis of tuberculosis.