News

One of the latest postdoctoral scientists recruited to the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Dr Shaked Ashkenazi, has been awarded a Royal Society – Newton International Fellowship starting in October 2018.

Shaked Ashkenazi joined Professor Matthew Freeman’s lab in May 2018, coming from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Her PhD work focused on understanding the relationship between the structure and function of NF-kappaB, an immune system master regulator, and exploring its potential as a drug target. Shaked successfully identified direct NF-kappaB inhibitors that might be further developed as new anti-inflammatory drugs.

Her research project during her time in Oxford focuses on iRhom2, a protein studied in the Freeman lab. She aims to uncover its role in the production of TNFa – the protein that injured cells secrete in order to alarm the immune system and recruit it to the site of injury.

“I was very excited to hear the news, and feel deeply honoured to be among the recipients of such a prestigious award. This generous fellowship enables me to join the group of a leading expert and to pursuit my interests in the mechanisms behind the fascinating immune system. I hope that my research will pave a path for new therapeutic strategies, to help people who struggle with inflammatory diseases” said Shaked Ashkenazi.

The Newton International Fellowship is run by the British Academy, the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences, and is awarded to approximately 40 international scientists coming to the UK each year. The award is for a 2-year period and covers the awardee’s salary, funding for consumables and work-related travel, as well as a relocation grant.

To learn more about the Newton International Fellowships visit: www.newtonfellowships.org/the-fellowships/

The read about Matthew Freeman’s research group visit: http://freeman.path.ox.ac.uk

Written by Dr Anna Caballe (@caballe_anna)