A highly competitive UKRI MRC industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (iCASE) scholarship has been awarded to Zoe Williams to undertake her doctoral studies at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, in partnership with Aberdeen-based therapeutic biologics company, Elasmogen Ltd.
Zoe, who is currently studying for an MSci in Human Biology at the University of Birmingham, will be part of a team led by UKRI Future Leaders Fellows Dr Alexander Davies (Principal Investigator at Clinical Neurosciences) and Dr Obinna Ubah (Principal Scientist at Elasmogen). Together they will develop a set of molecular tools to sensitively and selectively detect the downstream events of peripheral nerve injury with the ultimate aim of translating their research into novel therapeutics for neuropathic pain.
Along with Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant Neurologist Dr Simon Rinaldi, this interdisciplinary project will demonstrate the versatility of Elasmogen’s soloMER® technology in the neuro-immune space, with potential application to wider neurological conditions with immune involvement.
The MRC Enterprise (iCASE) programme provides entrepreneurial training opportunities and an insight into how commercial science is conducted alongside a superb academic base within the University. Students work for at least 3 months in the associated company.
Many congratulations again to Zoe for winning one of these much sought-after scholarships!
Read more about Zoe’s project: ‘Hunting for injured nerves: Discovering diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for painful nerve injury using targeted binding domain libraries from the shark immune system'.