13/11/2019
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Dr Hayley Sharpe, a tenure-track group leader in the Institute’s Signalling research programme and a Sir Henry Dale Fellow, has been selected as an EMBO Young Investigator. 27 new EMBO Young Investigators have been announced, and Hayley is one of four UK researchers accepted into the network, all from Cambridge-based research organisations. As the announcement was released, Hayley commented: “It is such a privilege to be joining the EMBO Young Investigators programme. I’m really excited about the extra support provided by the programme for our science, including financial and networking benefits for the fantastic trainees in the lab that will help their scientific careers. I am also looking forward to interacting with other Young Investigators at meetings over the next four years.” “Each of the new Young Investigators has demonstrated their ability to carry out research at the highest level, and it is a pleasure to welcome them to the EMBO community,” says EMBO Director Maria Leptin. “The first years as an independent researcher can be a particularly challenging time in a scientist’s career, and we look forward to supporting these twenty-seven researchers in establishing their independent careers.” Hayley’s research focuses on understanding cell-to-cell communication by cell membrane proteins called receptor tyrosine phosphatases. These are important in conveying messages from the outside of the cell to the inside and the molecular events they control govern a cell’s essential behaviour such as cell adhesion or movement. Despite this, they have been challenging proteins to solve. Communication between cells is key to maintaining tissue form and function, in addition to coordinating responses to injury. Therefore, understanding the cell and molecular events associated with deteriorating tissue function during ageing has the potential to reveal new targets for therapeutic intervention to extend healthy lifespan. Hayley joined the Institute as a tenure-track group leader this summer from a Principal Investigator position at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research where she established her lab after obtaining a Wellcome/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale fellowship. Prior to this Hayley was a postdoctoral researcher at Genentech in California, USA after a short postdoc at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB). She has a PhD from the MRC LMB and a Masters in Biochemistry from the University of Bath. Professor Michael Wakelam, Institute Director, said: “I’m delighted to congratulate Hayley on her achievement in being selected as an EMBO Young Investigator in recognition of the outstanding quality of her research. The additional opportunities and support offered by the programme will be greatly beneficial as she continues her research career and builds her group at the Institute.” EMBO Young Investigators are researchers under the age of 40 who are within their first four years as group leaders and have a proven record of scientific excellence. The new Young Investigators join a network of 129 current and 340 former Young Investigators, and will begin their four-year programme tenure in January 2020. During this time EMBO will provide financial and practical support as well as networking opportunities for the Young Investigators and their lab members.
Press contact Dr Louisa Wood, Babraham Institute Communications Manager, louisa.wood@babraham.ac.uk, 01223 496230 Additional/related resources: News: Institute welcomes new group leader, 7th August 2019 Research pages: Sharpe lab News: Michelle Linterman becomes an EMBO Young Investigator, 20th October 2016 About the Babraham Institute The Babraham Institute undertakes world-class life sciences research to generate new knowledge of biological mechanisms underpinning ageing, development and the maintenance of health. Our research focuses on cellular signalling, gene regulation and the impact of epigenetic regulation at different stages of life. By determining how the body reacts to dietary and environmental stimuli and manages microbial and viral interactions, we aim to improve wellbeing and support healthier ageing. The Institute is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, through an Institute Core Capability Grant and also receives funding from other UK research councils, charitable foundations, the EU and medical charities. About EMBO EMBO is an organisation of more than 1800 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond. The major goals of the organisation are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a research environment where scientists can achieve their best work. EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe. www.embo.org
13 November 2019