Dr Cynthia Andoniadou awarded Lister Institute Research Prize Fellowship

The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine funds research that is crucial to our understanding of health and disease. Their single scheme provides up to five awards of £200,000 annually. These are aimed at early stage independent researchers, for whom receipt of the Prize would make a real difference as it is intended to enhance or expand an on-going research activity or enable new areas of research. It can be used in any appropriate way to support their research over a period of up to five years, other than provision of a personal salary. New Lister Prize Fellows join a community of scientists from diverse biomedical fields who meet annually at the Fellows’ Meeting in Cambridge, to network, discuss their research and their future plans.

Cynthia Andoniadou, a Lecturer in Stem Cell Biology at the Dental Institute, will begin her term as a Prize Fellow in September. She has been awarded this Research Prize for studies on the regulation of stem cell potential, using the mammalian pituitary gland as a model. Specifically, she aims to use the funds to enable expansion of current research areas that focus on understanding the signalling mechanisms that control organ regeneration. These studies are likely to lead to models of disease such as tumours and organ failure, enabling pursuit of preclinical avenues.

‘This Research Prize has the potential to propel the translational relevance of the work our team carries out. The flexibility of these funds will ensure that we do not compromise our approaches and carry out the best possible research. I am extremely grateful to the Lister Institute for this award and to my department for their support during the application process.’