New Investigators report

Transcription

1 New Investigators 2012 report

2 Summary Cancer Research UK has a strong portfolio of fellowships to support new researchers at the start of their independent careers. We currently support our new investigators through three different schemes. In addition, we support a further 22 Junior Group Leaders at our five core-funded Institutes. We support 42 new investigators Our five Institutes support 22 Junior Group Leaders We support 4 clinicians as senior fellows We support new investigators in 21 universities We spent 5.88 million and appointed 7 new investigators in % of our New Investigators are women P a g e 1

3 Number of New Investigators Our new investigators Over the past five years we have increased the number of new investigators funded through our different schemes, particularly for early career stage researchers looking to establish their first independent group. We intend to maintain this level of investment, supporting the very best new investigators in cancer research. Figure 1 gives the number of active new investigator grants over the past 7 years. The cohort in recent years shows a shift towards a more even split between the three schemes and reflects the increased emphasis on supporting new group leaders SCaRF + SCRF CDF CEA Senior Cancer Research Fellowships (SCaRF) 16 Career Development Fellowships (CDF) 14 Career Establishment Awards (CEA) 12 TOTAL 42 Institute Junior Group Leaders (JGL) 22 Figure 1: Cumulative numbers of grant-funded New Investigators In July 2012 we supported a total of 42 new investigators, and a further 22 Junior Group Leaders at our five core-funded Institutes. The New Investigators were based in 21 different universities throughout the UK. 85% of these investigators were associated with one of our Centres. University of Essex University of Sussex University of Southampton* University of Bangor, Wales University of Dundee* University of Edinbugh* University of Birmingham* University of Leeds* University of Manchester* University of Liverpool* University of Sheffield* University of Nottingham Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute The Institute of Cancer Research* London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Queen Mary, University of London* King's College London University College London* Imperial College London* University of Oxford* University of Cambridge* CDF CEA SCaRF Figure 2: Location of New Investigators (* Cancer Research UK Centre) P a g e 2

4 What are they working on? Our current Fellows work in a wide range of cancer research specialities (Figure 3). Their research includes basic cell and molecular biology, genetics and population research and applied clinical work and drug discovery. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% (a) New Investigator Award Portfolio 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% (b) Core Research Portfolio Figure 3: Comparison of % annual spend per CSOcoded research area: (a) New Investigator portfolio; (b) Core research portfolio (including Institutes) Aetiology/Causes Biology Cancer control, survival & outcomes Early diagnosis, detection & prognosis Prevention Scientific model systems Treatment The proportion of annual spend in each CSO-coded research area for the New Investigator Portfolio is a good reflection of our overall research portfolio. Both portfolios include a high proportion of spend in basic biology. The New Investigator Award portfolio has seen an increase in spend over the last 3 to 4 years in both prevention research and research into early diagnosis, detection and prognosis, which are key strategic scientific areas for the charity. P a g e 3

5 Career development The New Investigator Award scheme provides the funding and career support to enable post-doctoral researchers to take the first steps to becoming an independent group leader. We aim to help them develop into leading scientists with the track record and international reputation to compete for programme funding. New investigator funding We currently offer three schemes aimed at supporting New Investigators. The Career Development Fellowship and the Career Establishment Award provide the funding for cancer researchers to set up their first independent research group, and to begin to build an independent career in cancer research. The Senior Cancer Research Fellowship offers a further period of research support for the best researchers to focus entirely on a research career, without additional academic responsibilities. Figure 4: Funding for new investigators Former Cancer Research UK fellows Since our New Investigator awards started in 1997, 31 fellows have completed their fellowship. All of them are still in academic research, and the majority have received further funding from Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK Institute group leader University faculty, have held a Cancer Research UK programme University faculty, have held other Cancer Research UK funding MRC/BBSRC Institute group leader Other UK university faculty Left UK Figure 5: Current location of former Cancer Research UK new investigators P a g e 4

6 Supporting new investigators We provide additional career support for New Investigators throughout their awards, aimed at encouraging their professional development and giving them career guidance through mentoring. Induction and mentoring Each New Investigator nominates a mentor in their application. This mentor should give them guidance and support throughout their award. We ask each mentor to comment on the progress of their New Investigator as part of the mid-term review. In 2012, we introduced a new induction meeting for New Investigators before the start of their grant. This shows them the broad scope of activities undertaken by the charity and lets them know what is expected of them. They also get to meet other members of their cohort and develop a sense of identity as a Cancer Research UK New Investigator. Later this year we will introduce a further way of supporting our new fellows. Each New Investigator will be invited back to talk to the interview panel about 18 months after the start of their grant. The panel members can offer informal advice and feedback during the crucial early stages of the fellowship. They will have a chance to sort out any problems they have encountered whilst setting up their research groups, before they have to submit a report for the more formal mid-term review. Management skills All our New Investigators are encouraged to undertake training to help them run their research group. Many of them attend a Laboratory Management Course run by EMBO. These courses are designed to teach researchers the skills they need to run a successful laboratory, such as contract negotiation, staff recruitment, time management and communication. The course is designed to help our fellows become more effective leaders, and give them the skills to manage their research team. New Investigators Meeting Our regular New Investigators Meeting gives our researchers the chance to meet others funded by Cancer Research UK, as well as members of staff from the charity and senior academics from our interview panels. Our New Investigator fellows, and the Institute Junior Group leaders, met in Manchester in June 2012 to talk about their research and develop new collaborations. The atmosphere overall was very friendly and warm giving a very nice feeling of loyalty and appreciation. Peer review Peer review is an important part of the role of a researcher, and something that we encourage our New Investigators to help us with. We try to involve all our new investigators in written peer review, and we also provide an opportunity for Senior Cancer Research Fellows, nearing the end of their awards, to attend a funding committee meeting as an observer. This gives the fellow a chance to see how committees operate and make funding decisions. P a g e 5

7 New Investigator Award applications Since the inclusion of the Career Establishment Awards in 2010, the New Investigator Awards scheme has received an average of 80 preliminary applications each year. The amount of funding allocated to the scheme has increased since 2010 with between 7 and 10 new grants awarded in the last three years CEA SCaRF CDF Figure 6: Numbers of preliminary applications received for the New Investigator Award scheme New appointments in 2012 In 2011, we received a total of 73 preliminary applications for these awards. The Panel invited 40 candidates to submit a full application and, after full peer review and further discussion, 17 candidates were invited to an interview in April The Panel recommended funding for 5 Senior Cancer Research Fellowships and 2 Career Development Fellowships. These awards represented an investment of 5.88 million to fund the UK s brightest minds in establishing and developing their own independent research groups. The quality of applications this year was exceptional and, although it was extremely difficult to choose, we re confident that the individuals selected are truly outstanding. The next few years will undoubtedly be difficult for these researchers as they seek to establish themselves in this highly competitive field. But with the extra funding and support they will receive from Cancer Research UK I have no doubt these outstanding individuals will go on to achieve great things in the future. Professor Margaret Frame, director of the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre and chair of the New Investigator Awards interview panel. P a g e 6

8 Senior Cancer Research Fellows Dr Helfrid Hochegger, University of Sussex - Exploiting chemical genetics to analyse cytoskeleton dynamics in early mitosis Dr Hochegger is studying the molecular mechanisms behind cell division, focusing on the microtubules that help separate the copies of a cell s DNA as it divides. Drugs that target microtubule action already form the basis of drugs used to treat cancer patients, and this work could lead to the improved efficacy of these drugs. Dr Hochegger s project uses specialised techniques to study microtubuleassociated proteins and their mode of action. He said, The Cancer Research UK Senior Cancer Research Fellowship is the most important milestone in my career to date. It gives me the freedom and support to develop my research programme at a critical time in my scientific development. Dr Michaela Frye, University of Cambridge - Cytosine-5 RNA methylation in normal and cancer stem cells Dr Frye s research group is studying skin stem cells specifically decoding the signals that skin stem cells transmit and receive each time they divide. Comparing these signals in healthy and tumour cells will help scientists understand skin cancers. Her lab is also identifying the molecules that give these cells their key characteristics. Dr Frye said that, The Senior Cancer Research Fellowship from Cancer Research UK gives me the unique opportunity to realise my scientific visions and to explore truly novel lines of research in our efforts to define therapeutic strategies against cancer. Dr Stephen Royle, University of Warwick - Molecular mechanisms of kinetochore fibre stabilisation The focus of Dr Royle s work is mitosis, specifically the spindle mechanism that ensures that each daughter cell receives one copy of each pair of chromosomes when they divide. Dr Royle s laboratory is focussing on the tiny fibres that make up part of the spindle, and they have already developed sophisticated techniques to study these fibres in minute detail to determine their composition and mode of action. A Senior Cancer Research Fellowship from Cancer Research UK means a great deal to the research my lab is doing, said Dr Royle. Cancer Research UK has been a fantastic support for my work, and my group has made good progress to date. We look forward to more exciting discoveries in the future. P a g e 7

9 Dr Christian Siebold, University of Oxford - Molecular mechanisms of cell-surface morphogen signalling Dr Siebold and his team are investigating cell signalling and the development of cancer. He is focusing on two types of signal that normally tell healthy cells where they are in the body. He and his team are using cutting-edge technology to determine how these messenger molecules enter cells a process that is frequently faulty in many different types of cancer cells. He said that, The Senior Cancer Research Fellowship will give me the unique opportunity to strengthen and expand my overall research programme to tackle extracellular morphogen signalling, mechanisms that have major implications for our understanding of cancer biology. My Fellowship will allow me to develop an internationally competitive laboratory and to interface effectively with developments in basic cancer biology and, ultimately, translational research. Professor Kamil R. Kranc, University of Edinburgh - Hypoxia signalling pathways in leukaemic stem cell functions Professor Kranc and his team are investigating why leukaemias return after treatment a devastating problem for doctors, patients and their families. Leukaemia is a cancer in which huge numbers of faulty white blood cells are produced by the body. Researchers think that leukaemia stem cells are responsible for producing these cancer cells, fuelling the disease. Most leukaemia treatments get rid of the bulk of the faulty white blood cells, but they don t destroy the leukaemia stem cells, so the disease comes back. Understanding the tricks they use to avoid destruction is crucial to finding more efficient ways to target leukaemia. Professor Kranc has identified molecules that are crucial for the development of leukaemia. He and his team are working hard to uncover how these molecules misbehave in leukaemia stem cells research that will lead the way to more effective treatments for patients in the future. This Fellowship is a major milestone in my research career, said Professor Kranc. I am extremely grateful to Cancer Research UK for giving me this amazing opportunity. This generous award will allow me to consolidate my research team, take our cancer stem cell research to completely different dimension and hopefully translate it to novel therapeutic approaches for leukaemia patients. P a g e 8

10 Career Development Fellows Dr Ana Cvejic, University of Cambridge - A fast-track functional characterisation of genes implicated in human blood formation and pathologies using zebrafish as an in vivo model Dr Cvejic s work involves the use of zebrafish as a model system in the search for genes that drive the development of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) a blood disorder that can develop into leukaemia. She has developed an innovative method that uses zebrafish to understand how genes, known to be faulty in patients with MDS, disrupt the production of blood cells, and how this, in turn, can lead to leukaemia. The ultimate goal of her project is to find new targets for nextgeneration drugs. She said, The Career Development Fellowship will allow me to further strengthen my position as an independent scientist in the field of functional genomics of malignant haematopoiesis. In addition, this award will equip me with the project management and team leadership experience necessary to become an independent scientist, heading a programme of research dedicated to understanding the mechanisms by which acquired sequence variations affect normal haematopoiesis and contribute to disease. Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes, King s College London - Mechanisms of neural tumourigenesis Dr Sousa-Nunes and her team at King s College in London are using Drosophila as a model system to investigate central nervous system (CNS) tumours. These tumours affect the brain and spinal cord, and are the most common type of cancer in children after leukaemia. Treating these tumours can be very challenging and even successful treatment can have long-lasting side effects, so new approaches are urgently needed. Dr Sousa-Nunes and her team will investigate the mechanisms by which healthy CNS cells in the fly become tumour cells. The Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship is invaluable in allowing me to start a new team investigating fundamental properties of cancer cells relevant to combat human disease,, said Dr Sousa-Nunes. Furthermore, the Cancer Research UK network promotes meetings and liaising between cancer researchers around the UK, fostering the exchange of ideas and collaborations. P a g e 9