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Monday Morning Messages


 

27th August 2024

 
 
 
 
Latest news
 
 
Titles of Distinction
 
Senior academics Merryn Voysey (above left) and Carlo Rinaldi (above right), have been awarded titles of distinction by the University, for their outstanding and internationally recognised research, as well as their many contributions to the Department of Paediatrics and the Medical Sciences Division. Merryn has been awarded the title of Professor of Statistics in Vaccinology; and Carlo has been awarded the title of Professor of Molecular and Translational Neuroscience.
These titles not only reflect their individual dedication and achievement, but also the high standards of scholarship that our department upholds. Many congratulations to them both on this remarkable accomplishment and we wish them continued success and fulfilment in their research careers. 
 
 
 
Personal and Career Development Review
 
 
 
The Department of Paediatrics continues to focus internal efforts on increasing the uptake of PDRs (Personal Development Reviews) and CDRs (Career Development Reviews), and this year the two have been combined into one PCDR (Personal Career Development Review). 
The conversation is designed to help staff identify career goals and training objectives, agreeing a schedule and process with their line manager for the coming year, and establishing specific goals and a timeline for completionAll staff are strongly encouraged to undertake their PCDR in September and October and the HR Team will be touring all research groups to showcase why the review is important and how to conduct it. The team will also give some advice and guidance on using Simitive (the program used to record PCDRs).

Below are links to some useful resources:
Managers’ Toolkit Guides (including giving feedback, difficult conversations, and developing your team)
HR Intranet PDR Guidance

Please do reach out to HR@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions.
 
Access information on the staff intranet about PDR and CDR
 
 
Notices
Centre for Creative Brain Committee
 
Students, researchers and staff are invited to join the Centre for Creative Brain Committee, to organise innovative neuroscience events and collaborate with leading experts. The committee is looking for scientists and academics from other disciplines to tackle the great questions pertaining to neuroscience and beyond. 

Roles needed:
  • Tech Operations Specialist (ideal for CompSci/Eng UG/PG!)
  • Creative Arts Advisors (ideal for humanities UG/PG!)
  • Media Coordinator
  • Visual Communications Lead
  • Finance Manager
  • St Edmund's Hall Liaison Officer
  • Speaker Engagement Specialists
 
Click here to learn more and to apply
 
 
Hidden Research Excellence Framework (REF) competition
 
The Hidden REF was launched to raise awareness of the research outputs and roles that are vital to research but overlooked by traditional research evaluation and are currently accepting nominations.  Please consider taking part in the competition if you work in research and want to raise awareness of your own work or the work of others.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 13 September. There are two categories for nomination:
  • Nominate a great colleague - people whose work has been instrumental in the conduct of your research.
  • Nominate your work - any work that contributes towards research success, but which is not best represented by traditional research outputs.
 
Click here for more information
 
 
Trusted Research/ Research Assurance Informational Surgery
 
The UK Government and research funders are currently using a range of measures to address risk in international research collaborations. To help departments navigate the changing landscape of Trusted Research, Research Services regularly hosts a series of Trusted Research & Assurance Surgeries. These surgeries are open to researchers, departmental support staff, divisional representatives and RS colleagues to discuss all aspects of Trusted Research and Assurance including, export control, NSI and due diligence on international collaborations. 

The next surgery will take place on Wednesday, 25 September between 10am and 3pm in the Rivendell Meeting Room, 5 Worcester Street.

The deadline for timeslot bookings is Monday 23rd September. Please email via the link below to book. To enable a better-quality information session, upon booking, we ask you to clarify your particular area of interest:
  • Export Control as it relates to your department
  • Due Diligence for third parties
  • Managing risk
  • Information on National Security Investment Act and other legislation involving international collaborative research
  • Questions regarding a specific case
 
Email trusted.research@admin.ox.ac.uk to book a timeslot
 
 
Panacea Stars Develop Autumn/Winter 24/25 applications open
 
Since its inception in Oxford in 2015, Panacea has been pivotal in the formation of over 400 companies, propelling its top 60 to a combined valuation of approximately £1.5bn. It is committed to advancing health-related innovations, from early-stage ideas to ready-for-market products. Its equity-free programs offer significant benefits: up to £100k in prizes, complimentary lab space, and wide-ranging support in scientific, clinical, financial, and legal aspects. The standout companies gain priority access to pre-seed and seed investments through Panacea Ventures.
Panacea is inviting the next wave of innovators to its equity-free Develop Programme Autumn/Winter 2024/25 cohort. The deadline for applications is 21 October 2024 at 11:59 pm GMT.
Apply now at Panacea Stars Develop Application.
 
For more information visit the website
 
 
Business and Operations Manager Network (BOM) Meeting
 
The Business and Operations Manager Network (BOM) will be hosting its first thematic meeting to discuss the challenges related to space management within the University. The meeting will be held on Monday 21st October at 11.30am in the Botnar Institute. Anyone interested in joining this meeting and/or the network, is asked to email Iris Hofmann or Matthew Brack. 
 
Join the meeting or the network
 
 
Cyber Security Training
 
Alarming headlines about IT security are never far away, but we can all take steps to protect ourselves and the University. The Information Security and Information Compliance teams released a new Information Security and Data Protection Staff training earlier in the summer, updated to reflect the ever evolving threats in the cyber environment.
 
Access the cyber security e-learning session which should be completed annually
 
 
Courses

DPhil in Cancer Science Open Day
 
Registration is now open for the Oxford Cancer DPhil in Cancer Science studentships open day. The deadline to register is 9am on Monday 2 September. Find out how a DPhil can be incorporated into your graduate medical studies, postgraduate clinical training, or be the next step in your cancer research career development. 
Date: Thursday 5 September
Time: 10:00-12:00 pm
 
Secure your place via this link
 
 
Journal of American Medical Association editors Q&A
 
The Journal of the American Medical Association's (JAMA) Editor in Chief will discuss issues of trust and trends in medical publishing, including the review process, and role of artificial intelligence, and preprints.
Find out about the JAMA author experience, the editorial review process, what the JAMA journals look for in different article types, and how to maximise the impact of published work.
Pose your questions to the JAMA editors during this session and over lunch.
Date: 3 September
Time: 11 -12. Lunch is available between 12:00 – 13:00 for networking opportunities.
Venue: Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus
See further information and register via Oxford Talks
 
Register for the session here
 
 
Events
 
 
Industry Insights Seminar
 
5 September 2024 | Online Only | 12pm
Title: Prevention is better than cure – realising a sustainable new paradigm to predict and pre-empt obesity and its consequences
Speaker: Professor Nadeem Sarwar (Corporate Vice President, Co-Founder and Head, Transformational Prevention Unit)
Company: Novo Nordisk
 
Register here
 
 
 
 
Epigenetics: the apex of innate immune memory
 
6 September 2024 | IDRM seminar rooms | 3pm
Professor Musa M. Mhlanga is the chair of Cell Biology at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences. He also heads the Laboratory for Epigenomics & Single Cell Biophysics. Musa did his undergraduate degree in France & the US and obtained his PhD in New York at NYU School of Medicine and The Rockefeller University. There, he worked on the development of molecular beacons for in vitro diagnostics and for the imaging of RNA in living cells with Fred R. Kramer & Sanjay Tyagi. Next, he did a Post Doctoral fellowship at the Institut Pasteur in Paris as a US National Science Foundation fellow. He worked on gene expression and nuclear organisation with a focus on imaging of RNA and transcription. His laboratory works on the epigenome with an emphasis on the role of noncoding RNA in genomic architecture and gene regulation, using the immune system as a model. This includes fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation and extends to large scale clinical studies. His lab also works on single cell epigenomics and spatial transcriptomics, using multiple omics and microscopy approaches in translational models.
 
Register here
 
 
 
 
New Therapeutic Approaches in Translational Mental Health
 
16 September 2024 | Maths Institute | All day
This in-person conference is hosted by the Oxford Health BRC and sponsored by the UK Mental Health Mission. The event aims to bring together industry, academic & clinical researchers, the regulator and government research funding organisations to discuss the current challenges facing therapeutic development. The overall objective is to forge collaborations that can increase capacity and capability through partnerships to deliver paradigm changes in translational mental health research. The event includes keynotes, lightning talks, roundtable discussion and industry led workshop sessions by Angelini Pharma, Big Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Karuna Therapeutics and Reckitt Benckiser.
 
Click here for more information and to register
 
 
 
 
OHC Symposium 2024
 
24 to 26 September 2024 | In person | Trinity College Oxford
The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC) Symposium is the UK’s leading academic-industry rare disease conference, bringing together in-person delegates from both areas as well as key stakeholders in rare disease therapeutics development. Over three days, from 24-26 September 2024, presentations and panel discussions will be delivered by international leaders in the field.
The Symposium’s theme, Therapeutics Development for Rare Diseases, will explore how pioneering research, innovative treatment approaches, and collaborative efforts across biotech, pharma, academic institutions, funders, patient organisations, and regulators can enhance and accelerate the delivery of effective therapies for rare diseases. Limited spaces are available. 
View the full programme.
 
Click here to register for the event
 
 
 
 
Why are so many of us burnt out, and what we can do about it?
 
26 September 2024 | Online only | Seminar 11-12; Workshop 13.30 to 15.00
Why do ever more of us find it so hard to find a good balance between life and work? The dramatic rise of work-related suffering is clearly not the problem of just a handful of people who are bad at time management. 
This seminar will explore some of the deeper cultural reasons for why we are all so burnt out and offer some practical, actionable advice on what we can do about our exhaustion and how we can re-learn how to thrive.
Sign up for the Seminar here: https://forms.office.com/e/0cyFgdacJp
The workshop is now full but please email iris.hofmann@idrm.ox.ac.uk if you would like to join the waiting list. 
 
Click here for more information on the event
 
 
 
 
Reflecting on who we are in the research environment
 
16 October 2024 | Hybrid | Seminar 11-12pm; Workshop 13.30 to 15.00
Inclusion, Intersectionality and Impact Specialist Dr Arun Verma, will be sharing his story and experiences as a queer person of colour, who has moved between and beyond categories and characteristics. He will be hosting both a seminar and a workshop at the IDRM on 16 October.
The Seminar will:
  • Build confidence with what intersectionality is and how it applies to your everyday work
  • Understand how equality issues are interconnected
  • Develop small acts of kindness that can transform daily interactions
The workshop will explore intersectionality in more depth and focus on the following:
  • Reflecting on where intersectionality comes from and why it matters
  • Space to explore your own characteristics and stories
  • Co-creating the big picture of an optimal research culture
We have 15 spaces available and registration is open now. There will also be a networking lunch in the IDRM Cafe after the seminar to which all are invited. Please reserve your place at lunch here. 
 
Click here for more information on the event
 
 
Can you help these trials? 

 
 
RSV and SPN
 
Oxford Vaccine Group would like to invite you to take part in a study investigating how two common respiratory germs alter the environment in your nose and impact human health. The knowledge gathered in this project could be used to help develop new interventions such as anti-virus agents and drugs targeting the host body response. If you are 18 to 55 years old, you may be eligible to take part. We will provide reimbursement for your time, inconvenience and travel. The study duration is approximately 10 weeks. If you would like to find out more, please read the Participant Information Sheet. If you are interested in joining the study, please visit the Pre-screening Questionnaire via the link below.
 
Click here to access the pre-screening questionnaire
 
 
 
 
We need volunteers for a new vaccine against Marburg virus
 
If you are aged 18 to 55 years old and in good health, then you may be eligible to take part in a study investigating a new vaccine against Marburg virus. All participants will be reimbursed up to £1290 for their time, inconvenience, and travel. For further information please click on the link below. Here is a link to pre-screening questionnaire: Pre-screening Questionnaire or contact Oxford Vaccine Group with any questions: Email: info@ovg.ox.ac.uk Tel: 01865611400.
 
Click here to find out more about the trial
 
 
 
 
Malaria BIO-001
 
Oxford Vaccine Group would like to invite you to take part in a study in a challenge study to find a vaccine against malaria. The total study participation time is 18 months. If you would like any further information regarding the study please contact info@ovg.ox.ac.uk, or call 01865 611400
 
Click here to register your interest
 
 
 
 
Malaria BIO-004
 
Oxford Vaccine Group is looking for volunteers to help us understand how our immune systems respond to repeated infection with malaria. By taking part in this challenge study, you could help the research aimed at preventing hundreds of thousands of child deaths. If you are aged 18 to 45 years old, in good health and live in the Thames Valley, then you may be eligible to take part in the BIO-004 study. All participants will be reimbursed for their time, inconvenience and travel up to £9,100.
 
Access the pre-screening questionnaire here
 
 
Contact us: communications@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
 
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