The Institute for Regeneration and Repair have welcomed three new Group Leaders who have been awarded one of the University of Edinburgh’s prestigious Chancellor's Fellowships. Image Drs Chloe Stanton, Güneş Taylor and Dr Stefano Comazzetto Dr Chloe Stanton joins the Centre for Inflammation Research, Dr Güneş Taylor is joining the Centre for Reproductive Health, and Dr Stefano Comazzetto is joining the Centre for Regenerative Medicine. Their research spans eye disease, female health and fertility and the fundamental processes underlying blood cell development. Established in 2014, Chancellor’s Fellowships are five-year tenure track positions that invest in researchers delivering cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and innovation. They are designed to help the most promising academics advance from the early stages of their career to more senior roles, and to empower their ground-breaking research. Chancellor’s Fellowships are for academics with a vision for future leadership in research and innovation, which may straddle leading a major area of research, forging new industry partnerships, or implementing research-led teaching innovations. I am delighted to welcome our new Chancellor’s Fellows to the Institute. Their diverse expertise adds to the fundamental and translational research at an exciting time in our development as an Institute. I look forward to seeing their research develop in IRR and have great impact. Professor Stuart Forbes, IRR Director Dr Chloe Stanton Dr Stanton will investigate common and rare forms of age-related retinal degeneration to identify genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cellular dysfunction in the retina and may be targets for future therapy. With over 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss, the development of novel therapies for rare and common inherited retinal diseases is a strategic priority for future health. During my Chancellor's Fellowship, I am excited to contribute new insights into genomic causes and mechanisms of retinal cell dysfunction and advance new treatment options. Dr Chloe Stanton Dr Güneş Taylor Dr Taylor’s research programme seeks to serve female health and fertility needs by deepening the understanding of the cells that support egg growth within the ovary. The molecular mechanisms driving the specification and function of supporting pregranulosa cells within the ovary will be investigated using a combination of animal models and technical approaches. I am utterly honoured to be establishing my research program investigating the molecular details of ovarian formation and function with the support of the CRH. With its longstanding and world-class legacy, realising my ambitions for improving female health outcomes will be all the more attainable for being situated in the IRR at the wider University of Edinburgh. Dr Güneş Taylor Dr Stefano Comazzetto Dr Comazzetto will investigate how diet-derived metabolites control stem cell function in normal and clonal haematopoiesis. He aims to identify the molecular mechanisms by which dietary nutrients regulate the function of normal and mutated pre-leukaemic haematopoietic stem cells that arise during ageing. He hopes these basic discoveries will translate in novel pharmacological strategies that promote haematopoietic recovery after injuries and prevent the harmful expansion of pre-malignant cells in the ageing population. I am very excited to join the Centre for Regenerative Medicine as a Chancellor’s Fellow. For years CRM has been leading the way in ground-breaking discoveries in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. I am very much looking forward to joining such a fantastic and collaborative group of outstanding scientists that push the boundaries of scientific knowledge. Dr Stefano Comazzetto This article was published on 2024-07-08
