New research from the Roberts Group @ribomedicine.bsky.social at IDRM explores a new way to increase the body’s own production of BDNF, a key brain protein involved in neuron health, learning and memory.
Read the paper: tinyurl.com/ydwxk49d
What a pleasure to host @hsiuchuanlin.bsky.social @crg.eu to @idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social! We discussed in much depth novel technologies pushing forward the engineering human cell fate space- looking forward to exciting collaborations 🤩 And always a treat to visit @jesusoxford.bsky.social!
Spring has arrived at the IDRM just in time for Green Action Week! We are taking action by promoting our book swap, recycling, and Beauty Banks sustainable initiatives.
Our bug houses made for pollinators are spring-ready too — with a ladybird already spotted 🐞
#GreenActionWeek #Sustainability
International Women and Girls in Science Day 👩🔬✨
We’re proud to support brilliant women at the IDRM, including Dr Andia Redpath, Dr Inhye Park, Dr Sophie Payne and Dr Susann Bruche, who recently took part in the EMBO Laboratory Leadership Course.
Read more 👉 tinyurl.com/mrxurm52
On #TimeToTalkDay, we’re proud to support open conversations about mental health. Will Vaulks, who recently gave a talk at the IDRM, and Prof Willem Kuyken remind us that sharing experiences can help reduce stigma around mental health challenges.
📽️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hkd...
In December, we hosted the EMBO Lab Leadership Course with NDM and the Dunn School of Pathology.
We spoke to Dr Sophie Payne, Dr Susann Bruche, Dr Inhye Park and Dr Andia Redpath about what they learned about leadership and leading their own research teams.
Read more: tinyurl.com/mrxurm52
This week’s scientific image, submitted by the Holländer Lab, is titled “The birth of immunity: spatial transcriptomics illuminating the thymus at E14.5.” The image uses spatial transcriptomics to visualise gene expression patterns across the embryonic thymus at day 14.5.
This week’s scientific image, created by Ehsan Razaghi, DPhil student, Simões lab, is titled “Immune-mediated spatial orchestration of cardiac regeneration in zebrafish, 5 days post cryoinjury.”
His research focuses on the role of the immune system in heart regeneration after myocardial infarction.
A huge congratulations to Joe Day, former Communications & Operations Apprentice and current Business Development & Engagement Officer at the IDRM, on winning the Shining Star Apprentice Award at the 2025 University of Oxford Apprenticeship Awards!
This week’s scientific image, contributed by Dr Emma Haberman from the Riley and Holländer groups, is titled “Atrial Architecture.” Her work investigates the role of T cell-mediated autoimmunity in the progression of heart failure after myocardial infarction.
New from Dr Matthew Stower and the Srinivas Group at IDRM 👇
Calcium signalling turns out to be essential for setting up the embryo’s anterior-posterior body axis. Using light-sheet microscopy, the team captured calcium activity in early mouse embryos.
Read more: tinyurl.com/5999kkm8
This week's scientific video, created by Dr Shifaan Thowfeequ from the Shankar Srinivas lab, is titled “Chasing the wave – in search of the origins of the first heartbeat.” The video captures the mechanical and chemical dynamics of an embryonic chick heart as it first forms and starts to beat.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for last week’s Get To Know Each Other event at the IDRM, and to all our fantastic speakers and poster presenters who made the afternoon such a success!
This week’s featured scientific image, "From blueprint to beating - engineering human cardiac development in a dish," comes from Selin Tüzüner (Simões Group), whose work was selected as a finalist in the BHF Reflections of Research competition.
Read more: lnkd.in/dQ4rZR9t
#ScientificImaging
✨ Monthly Featured Member ✨
Meet Mary Deadman, who recently retired after an incredible 44 years at the University, most recently as Laboratory Manager for the Holländer Group. Mary has supported countless projects and colleagues throughout her career.
🔗Read more: shorturl.at/SWhc5
This Christmas, we’re teaming up with the Department of Paediatrics to support #Sleigh2Give and bring festive cheer to children in hospitals and families across Oxfordshire. 🎁✨
Donate brand new, unwrapped gifts by 12 Dec to help make the holidays a little brighter.
Today’s scientific image of the week, “Cellular Hummingbird”, comes from Elizabeth Figueroa-Juárez.
🧫 She’s modelling atherosclerosis in vitro using hiPSC-derived endothelial cells.
✨ The colours and shape reminded her of hummingbirds—“gods’ messengers from the afterlife,” in Mayan legend.
Today’s #ScientificImage — “Where Vessels Begin,” comes from @degrainger.bsky.social, a postdoctoral researcher in IDRM's Stone group.
💬"We are working to understand how blood and lymphatic vessels form during embryonic development and how organ-specific characteristics of these vessels arise."
Last week's spooky creations, courtesy of IDRM's Mommersteeg Group, were carved just in time for Halloween! @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social
Our Institute for Desperately Regrowing Moustaches @idrm.ox.ac.uk is raising money for men’s mental health, suicide prevention, and prostate and testicular cancer awareness by growing moustaches. Please donate on our Movember page if you're able!
movember.com/t/institute-...
Rise of the Arteries — a lightsheet image capturing the intricate vascular network of a developing mouse heart.
By visualising endothelial and smooth muscle cells in 3D, researchers at IDRM reveal the beauty of coronary vessel formation.
📷 Credit: Konstantinos Miti & Polen Bareke
New research led by @klekkos.bsky.social and @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social at the IDRM and DPAG has uncovered an essential role for oxidative metabolism in heart regeneration.
Read the full paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Read the overview of the study: tinyurl.com/2syythet
More new work from the lab! @idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social
Do all zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? Also featuring the Mexican cavefish☺️
Thanks to all co-authors and especially the incredibly talented DPhil student Kostas Lekkos who drove the project. #zebrafish #heartregeneration
A notebook style graphic outlining the most recent IDRM featured member, Antonio Garcia Guerra. The following information is listed: Postdoctoral Research Scientist Rinaldi Group Research Focus: Cell-specific gene editing in neuromuscular disease. The IDRM logo is placed in the left hand corner, with a portrait of Antonio on the right.
Meet Antonio Garcia Guerra, a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Rinaldi Group, and our August featured member.
Antonio's research focuses on cell-specific gene editing in neuromuscular disease.
Find out more about his research: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
@oxfordpaediatrics.bsky.social
How do you turn cutting-edge science into a business idea?
We spoke with Dr Sophie Payne (IDRM, DPAG), a postdoctoral researcher, about her journey on the Oxford Venture Builder, where she pitched her enhancer-based gene therapy idea.
Read the full interview: lnkd.in/dx27XkV8
Square photo showing the head and shoulders of a woman against a blurred background and outlined by a red and yellow gradient border. On the right hand sign is white text on a blue background that reads: Professor of Cardiovascular Science. Congratulations to Sarah De Val, Group Leader within the IDRM Cardiovascular Theme, who has been awarded the title of Professor of Cardiovascular Science by the University of Oxford. To the bottom left are logos for the Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine, and for the University of Oxford.
🎉Congratulations to the IDRM's Professor Sarah De Val on being awarded the title of Professor of Cardiovascular Science by the University of Oxford 🎉
#CardiovascularScience #AcademicAchievement #WomenInSTEM
Dark blue background with white text. Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine logo sits in top left corner with text to the right reading: BHF Fellowship Awarded. Photo of researcher awarded is on the left highlighted within a thin frame that from red to yellow from left to right. Main text reads: Though congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, its causes are often unknown. This fellowship award will support Nancy's research toward understanding heart development with the ultimate aim of progressing CHD diagnosis and future therapies. Dr Nancy Stathopoulou, BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellow.
🎉Huge congratulations to Dr Nancy Stathopoulou, IDRM Transition Fellow @oxfordpaediatrics.bsky.social who has been awarded the BHF Intermediate Science Research Fellowship by the @thebhf.bsky.social.
Nancy’s work focuses on epigenetics in cardiac development and congenital heart disease.
Square image with a background designed to look like lined note paper. Title reads as Featured Member. On the right is a faux polaroid photo of the featured member, Konstantinos Lekkos, with his name below his image. On the left are three bullet points that state 1. his job role of DPhil Student, 2. he is a member of the Mommersteeg Group, and 3. his research focus which is the role of oxidative metabolism in zebrafish heart regeneration. A dark blue band stretches across the bottom of the square to highlight a white Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine logo.
👋Meet Konstantinos Lekkos, a DPhil Student in the Mommersteeg group, and our most recent featured member.
Kostas' research focuses on the role of oxidative metabolism in zebrafish heart regeneration.
Find out more about his research: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
@oxforddpag.bsky.social
Photo shows an image of someone receiving a certificate. There is a lecturn on the right with a figure next to it holding a sheet of paper. The figure is smiling and walking towards the camera. To the left are a row of 4 people mid-clap standing in front of a screen where the words 'Awards Ceremony and Close) are partially visible. The photo is framed with two microscopy images - the left hand side is red and white on a black background, the right hand side has cells imaged in greens, blues and white on a black background. At the bottom of the frame is the logo for the Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine.
🎉 Congratulations to Konstantinos Lekkos, a 2nd year DPhil student in the Mathilda Mommersteeg Group. Kostas won first prize at this year’s Oxford MRC-DTP Symposium with his talk on a novel discovery in zebrafish metabolism and heart regeneration. @oxforddpag.bsky.social
🚨 The Simões Group is hiring!
Join Filipa's team here at the IDRM as a Research Assistant and help advance cutting-edge cardiovascular regeneration research.
🔗 Apply now: lnkd.in/eKiSHWht
📅 Deadline: Midday 1st August 2025
