Wellcome Success for SULSA Lecturer

Dr Mikael Björklund, SULSA Lecturer in Systems Biology at the University of Dundee, has received a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Sciences to study the genes and mechanisms that regulate cell size using the fruit fly as a model. The fellowship is for 5 years starting from  February 2010 and value of the project is ~£700,000.

Cell size control has a major impact on human health as the signalling pathways that control cell growth are defective in many human diseases, including cancers and diabetes.

Earlier analysis of the genes identified in a genome-wide fruit fly RNAi screen indicated that cell-size increase and cell-cycle progression are independent but interlinked processes. However, it is currently unclear how the cell-size regulating genes are themselves regulated and how they form a network controlling cell size.

Mikael said, “I was delighted to hear that I have received this highly prestigious fellowship. With this support and access to the SULSA facilities, it is now possible for my laboratory to fully immerse in the systems biology analyses of cell size control.”

Mikael's award brings the total additional funding won to date by SULSA appointed researchers to over £13 million.

For more information about Mikael click here.
For more informatuon about SULSA Systems Biology click here.