Improving the sensitivity of therapeutic receptors for cancer therapy
January 2023
Published in PNAS, a new paper by the Dushek group shows how the effectiveness of therapeutic chimeric antigen receptors might be improved for cancer treatment
Matthew Freeman to chair EMBO council
January 2023
Many congratulations to Prof Matthew Freeman, our Head of Department, for being elected to chair the council of EMBO.
Prof Ervin Fodor awarded an MRC programme award
December 2022
This prestigious 5 year award will support the group’s continued efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying influenza virus transcription.
Trainspotting within the cell’s antenna
December 2022
Published in Cell, a new paper from the Roberts group reveals insights into the organisation and function of human intraflagellar transport “trains”.
Prestigious Early Career Fellowship awarded to Viktoriya Stancheva
December 2022
Dr Viktoriya Stancheva from the Sanyal lab at the Dunn School was awarded a Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellowship.
Dunn School appoints new Associate Professor of Biochemistry
December 2022
We are delighted to announce that Dr Anthony Roberts will be joining the department in April 2023, strengthening our research in cell and structural biology.
A changing view of how MPS1 initiates the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
November 2022
A new study published in Current Biology by the Gruneberg lab advances our understanding of the mechanisms by which cells correct mistakes during chromosome segregation. 3.8 million duplicated genomes have to segregate equally into daughter cells every second in our body to maintain normal cell and tissue function. Any problem in the chromosome segregation process...
CDK9 and PP2A coordinate to regulate transcription and RNA processing
October 2022
Published in EMBO reports, a new paper from the Murphy group uncovers novel roles for CDK9 and PP2A in the regulation of transcription and RNA processing. CDK9 is a kinase critical for RNA polymerase II transcription. Without it, RNA polymerase II either does not escape promoter regions or prematurely terminates. To study the function of...
Monika Gullerova recognised with Full Professor Title
August 2022
Many congratulations to Monika, who is now Professor of Molecular Medicine This recognition is part of the University of Oxford’s annual Recognition of Distinction Exercise. Prof Gullerova is also Tutor of Medicine at Wadham College. Prof Gullerova studied molecular biology at Comenius University in Bratislava and did her PhD at the University of Vienna. In...
Protein phosphorylation-mediated control of centriole growth
August 2022
Published in the Journal of Cell Biology, work by the Raff lab uncovers a key new mechanism mediated by protein phosphorylation that regulates centriole growth and duplication during the cell cycle. The cell cycle is a highly regulated cellular process required for tissue development and homeostasis, whose dysregulation is associated with cancer. Centrioles are microtubule-based...
Legendary summer party returns
July 2022
The Dunn School held its annual summer party in the University Parks After many months of social distancing and restrictions, the famous Dunn School summer party returned to roam the University Parks on Sunday, the 17th of July. Approximately 350 Dunn Schoolers and their family members attended the summer party, among them students, postdocs, staff...
Success for the Dunn School at the 2022 Vice Chancellor’s Environmental Sustainability Awards
July 2022
Dame Professor Louise Richardson hosted the 2022 Vice Chancellor’s Environmental Sustainability Awards, attended by staff and students from across the University of Oxford. The awards recognise and celebrate contributions towards the environmental goals of the University. 35 labs/facilities across the Dunn School were awarded LEAF status – with 9 receiving Gold, 16 receiving Silver and...
Ivan Ahel elected as a member of EMBO
July 2022
Prof Ivan Ahel’s leading contribution to the field ADP-ribosylation and genome stability has been recognised by his election to the membership of The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Pulse to the beat: centrosome assembly requires a pulse of Polo kinase activity
June 2022
In a story published in the EMBO Journal, Wong, Wilmott et al. shed light on the mechanism of Polo action in the assembly of the centrosome. Cell division is an essential function of cells, and appropriate partitioning of DNA and other cellular materials is critical for the daughter cells’ functioning and survival. In animals, this process...
Company co-founded by Dunn School alumnus awarded £1.8 million to tackle Postoperative Delirium
June 2022
Dr Benjamin Dodsworth completed his PhD in the Dunn School and went on to co-found and become the Chief Scientific Officer of PIPRA (Pre-Interventional Preventive Risk Assessment) based in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2019, PIPRA is a digital health company that aims to combat Postoperative Delirium, the most common post-surgical complication affecting 20% of patients...