The record investment will support 62 promising scientists, including Bristol’s Dr Kevin Wilkinson, across 41 UK institutions who are pioneering innovative approaches to improve human health and wellbeing.
Each researcher will receive £100,000-£125,000 through the Academy’s Springboard programme, alongside mentoring and career development support to help establish their independent research careers.
Dr Wilkinson has been awarded £125,000 to investigate how a process in cells called 'SUMOylation' helps to keep mitochondria and nerve cells healthy, and how this process may go wrong in diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Mitochondria are essential components of cells that play important roles in generating energy. In the brain, they provide the energy needed for nerve cells to communicate with each other. However, how mitochondria ensure they make the right amount of energy at the right time is poorly understood, yet it is known that these processes go wrong in many diseases that affect the brain.
Dr Wilkinson, Lecturer in Molecular Neuroscience in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, said: "This award from the Academy of Medical Sciences will be invaluable to extending our work into understanding how mitochondrial energy production is controlled to keep nerve cells healthy, and how these processes go wrong in disease.
“Our hope is that this new information may lead to the design of new therapies aimed at keeping mitochondria and nerve cells healthy in a variety of diseases that affect the brain."
With generous support from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Wellcome and the British Heart Foundation, this year’s record-breaking funding round marks a decade of Springboard awards and brings the total investment in the next generation of research leaders to £43.8 million since the scheme launched in 2015.
The programme supports researchers across the full spectrum of biomedical sciences, from molecular biology to public health, with an impressive geographical spread across the UK. Projects funded this year will drive progress in critical health areas, including antimicrobial resistance, fertility, ageing and artificial intelligence (AI) applications for disease prediction and prevention.
Professor James Naismith FRS FRSE FMedSci, Vice-President (Non-Clinical) at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “This record investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting the next generation of research leaders. By backing these talented early-career researchers, we’re not only addressing today’s urgent health challenges but also strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in medical research. The breadth and ambition of projects funded by the Academy’s Springboard programme is remarkable – from understanding teenage drinking behaviours to investigating why women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Each Springboard awardee brings fresh perspectives and innovative approaches that will ultimately translate to improved health outcomes for patients and the public. The Academy is proud to provide the financial resources and career development support needed to help these outstanding scientists establish their independent research careers.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance FMedSci said: “Research supported by the Springboard programme can help to address some of the most pressing health challenges, like antimicrobial resistance and cancer, by giving early-career researchers across the UK the opportunity to test their ideas.
“Through this programme we are supporting the next generation of researchers to lead their own groundbreaking research so that the UK can continue to be a pioneer in medical science.”
Michael Dunn, Director of Discovery Research at Wellcome, said: “The Academy’s Springboard programme is an excellent example of how we can best nurture early career researchers, with financial support and mentoring, to help deliver bold and exciting science across a hugely diverse set of research fields.
“We’re pleased to continue our support for a programme that matches Wellcome’s ambition for discovery science, looking to the long-term by establishing a pipeline of talented researchers to become the next generation of leaders in R&D, and ultimately generate knowledge that will transform our understanding of health.”
Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences and support more scientists to establish themselves as independent researchers. In the UK we lose too many talented scientists at this pivotal stage due to lack of opportunity to launch their careers. That’s why partnerships like this are so critical, to help us retain the best and the brightest early-career researchers and set them on a path to becoming our future research leaders.”