Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Angela Russell, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Oxford Departments of Pharmacology and Chemistry, has been announced as one of the five recipients of the inaugural UK Rare Disease Scholar Award, presented by the Harrington Discovery Institute (HDI).

Professor Angela RussellThrough its UK charity, Fund for Cures UK, with Morgan Stanley GIFT Cures, HDI issued a call for proposals for cutting-edge research in rare diseases and rare variants of more common diseases. Around 350 million people worldwide have a rare disease, half of which are children. Of the 7,000 known rare diseases, only five percent have an approved treatment. Rare diseases represent one of the greatest unmet needs in global healthcare today.

In addition to her joint appointment between Pharmacology and Chemistry, Professor Russell is a member of the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre. She aims to develop new drugs for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a severe muscle disease with childhood onset.

Speaking of the launch of the Rare Disease Scholar Awards in the UK, Jonathan Stamler, President of the HDI, said, “In eight years we have built a strong portfolio of breakthrough science throughout the US and Canada, and we are excited to extend our reach to the United Kingdom. Together with our Scholars and their institutions, we are pleased to move one step closer to changing the rare disease landscape in a meaningful way.”

In response to the announcement of her award, Professor Russell commented, “I’m delighted to have been awarded a 2021 Harrington UK Rare Diseases Scholarship. The support and guidance the Harrington team provide will be instrumental to allow us to build on our collaborative work with Professor Dame Kay Davies’ group (DPAG), to develop a small molecule drug to increase utrophin levels at the muscle membrane to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.”

Similar stories

Emptage group successful with £1m MRC-AMED award

Congratulations to the group of Professor Nigel Emptage who have been awarded an MRC-AMED grant, worth £1m, in conjuction with the University of Tokyo and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science

Burton group wins image competition at Oxford BHF CRE Annual Symposium

This image of a blood clot composed of erythrocytes trapped by long fibrous chains of fibrin was judged the winner of the image competition at the BHF CRE 2022 Symposiium, held in December. In this image we can see false coloured erythrocytes (classic biconcave appearance around 5-10 µm in diameter) wrapped by fibrin network.

Understanding the brain at Didcot Girls School Science Club

A group of researchers and students led by Dr Tim Viney visited Didcot Girls School to run a ‘hands on’ event about the brain at the school’s Science Club.

Raised intracellular chloride levels underlie the effects of tiredness in cortex

The feeling of being tired is familiar to everyone. As we know from our own experience, an extended period of wakefulness results in a decline in our performance levels, and the desire to sleep becomes almost irresistible. When you then fall asleep, your sleep is deeper and more consolidated than usual. And yet after just one night of uninterrupted sleep, you can feel refreshed and “back to normal”!

Consequences of Tau pathology on hippocampal pyramidal neurons and network activity in ageing mice

Pathological hyperphosphorylated forms of the microtubule-associated binding protein Tau (pTau) are commonly found in people with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Corticobasal degeneration, and Progressive supranuclear palsy.