NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE REPLACEMENT, REFINEMENT AND REDUCTION OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH
The NC3Rs has awarded its first PhD studentships to five early-career scientists within UK institutions as part of its aim to advance the knowledge and application of methods to replace, refine and reduce animal experiments.
Award winner: Hannah Buchanan-Smith
Institution: University of Stirling
Refinement of rearing practices in marmosets
Award winner: Jane Hurst
Institution: University of Liverpool
Taming anxiety and variation in laboratory mice
Award winner: Gareth Jenkins
Institution: Swansea University
The validation of defined genotoxic thresholds, leading to better in-vitro risk assessments of carcinogenic potential
Award winner: Donna MacCallum
Institution: University of Aberdeen
An in-vitro model system to assay kidney-pathogen interactions determining the outcome of Candida albicans infection
Award winner: Matthew Wright
Institution: Newcastle University
Applying the 3Rs to liver fibrosis research
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Award winner: N.I.M. Gould
Institution: Science and Technology Facilities Council Laboratories
Value: £12,104
Iterative methods for PDE-constrained optimisation
Award winner: J. Glass
Institution: Loughborough University
Value: £80,063
APRES: Action Programme on REsponsible Sourcing
Award winner: D.R. Leadley
Institution: University of Warwick
Value: £477,121
Room temperature terahertz quantum cascade lasers on silicon substrates
Award winner: G. Plotkin
Institution: University of Edinburgh
Value: £31,980
The 2010 Federated Logic Conference
Award winner: R.W. Kelsall
Institution: University of Leeds
Value: £6,578
Room temperature terahertz quantum cascade lasers on silicon substrates
Award winner: D.J. Paul
Institution: University of Glasgow
Value: £643,144
Room temperature terahertz quantum cascade lasers on silicon substrates
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN
Award winner: George Dickson
Institution: Royal Holloway, University of London
Value: £130,931
Investigating methods to improve the efficiency of a gene-therapy approach in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Award winner: Kate Bushby
Institution: Newcastle University
Value: £123,809
Examining the underlying cause of the dysferlinopathies
Award winner: Kay Davies
Institution: University of Oxford
Value: £170,045
Improving the efficiency of the "molecular patch" gene-therapy approach
Award winner: David Beeson
Institution: University of Oxford
Value: £91,950
Investigating the underlying causes and potential treatments of myasthenia gravis and the congenital myasthenic syndromes
IN DETAIL
Award winner: John Weinman
Institution: King's College London
Value: £61,000
Improving the quality of life for individuals with neuromuscular conditions
This grant will help fund research into psychological coping techniques for people with presently incurable neuromuscular conditions. Professor Weinman, professor of psychology as applied to medicine at King's Institute of Psychiatry, studies the self-management of chronic illness. In this three-year project, he will seek to investigate varying psychological techniques that people with muscle-wasting diseases can use to positive effect.
More than 60,000 people in the UK suffer from muscular dystrophy or related conditions, which cause muscles in the body to weaken and can also affect heart and respiratory muscles. Professor Weinman said: "Together with Michael Rose at King's College Hospital, our work has investigated the ways that patients with muscle disease perceive their condition. These perceptions can influence their ability to cope with their disease and, in turn, adversely affect their quality of life. This grant will enable us to develop and test new treatments."