Ivan Ahel elected as a member of EMBO
Ivan’s lab focuses on the fundamental science of ADP-ribosylation, a reversible post-translational modification underlying DNA damage response, through the lens of biochemistry, genetics, cell biology and structural biology. ADP-ribosylation is involved in, for example, resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy and neurological disorders. Their research on the response of ADP-ribosylation to different inhibitors is therefore of important medical value. Recently, they are also exploring if these inhibitors can be used to treat COVID.
Ivan has had a long interest in DNA damage response since his PhD. He first established his independent group in 2009 in the CRUK Manchester Institute, before moving to Sir William Dunn of Pathology in 2013. Last year he was awarded the Biochemical Society GlaxoSmithKline award, and was recently appointed to the E.P. Abraham Chair of Chemical Pathology.
About this honour, Prof Ahel said: “It is a great honour to be elected as a member of EMBO. I’m excited to work with EMBO and engage in discussions and collaborations with some of the finest scientists in the field.”
On 6 July 2022, Ivan and 66 scientists from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, India, Singapore and the US were announced to be members of EMBO, a community of more than 1900 leading life scientists. Ivan joins 8 other EMBO fellows at the Dunn School: Peter Cook, Matthew Freeman, Susan Lea, Nick Proudfoot, Jordan Raff, Liz Robertson, Chris Tang and Ervin Fodor.
Written by Isaac Siu-Shing Wong (Raff Lab) @ISiuShingWong.