Impact of giving: the Borysiewicz Biomedical Fellowships
The Borysiewicz Fellowship takes some of the best Cambridge postdocs and develops them into motivated, strategic future leaders ready to pursue a range of global questions and problems. These researchers work in teams on projects aimed at finding solutions for some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Postdoctoral researchers are the engine that power research in the biomedical sciences and are in a unique position to shape the future. The Borysiewicz Biomedical Sciences Fellowship has been developed in honour of Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, a pioneer in the biomedical sciences, who as Vice-Chancellor of the University led and shaped the development of key provisions for Cambridge’s postdoc community.
The Borysiewicz Fellowship programme takes some of the best Cambridge postdocs and develops them into motivated, strategic future leaders ready to pursue a range of global questions and problems. The programme provides a unique mixture of purposeful and outcome-driven engagement opportunities for postdocs both within and outside their area of expertise, which develops their skills as leaders and leads to a chance to pursue truly independent work on novel ideas.
It is the aim of the Borysiewicz Fellowships to provide career enhancement to support outstanding researchers seeking to shape the future for the betterment of society.
Selected as nine of the most exceptional postdoctoral researchers working in Cambridge, the 2018–19 cohort works across the biomedical sciences, from cancer research and infectious diseases to the treatment of neurological disorders.
The programme enables these researchers to focus on a range of global challenges in addition to their primary research, as well as undertaking a programme of leadership and entrepreneurship training.
The 2018–19 cohort is currently working in two teams on two separate global challenge projects.
About Team GC Connect
GC Connect fosters the creation of a community centred on addressing global challenges in line with the UN 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Our mission is to maximize the global impact of Cambridge research by creating opportunities for researchers to apply their expertise in the context of international development and to find solutions for pressing needs while ensuring knowledge exchange and promoting interdisciplinary collaborations.
The ultimate goal is to unite the research community together to work towards their shared interest in addressing the SDGs.
Meet three of these outstanding researchers:
Dr Johnny Habchi
I am currently a Research Scientist in the Centre for Misfolding Diseases and Head of Research in Wren Therapeutics Ltd. Here I orchestrate a drug discovery programme with the aim to generate transformative treatments for protein misfolding diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Originally from Lebanon, I hold a PhD in protein science from Aix-Marseille University where I investigated the replicative machinery of newly emerging viruses. Since 2012, I am a researcher at the University of Cambridge where I set up an interdisciplinary research programme that has contributed towards a paradigm shift in drug discovery against Alzheimer’s diseases.
During my 10 years as a researcher, I have authored more than 40 publications with more than 1000 citations and have built a strong expertise in research design, team management and science communication.
I have a deep interest in translating foundational research in the field of global health challenges into efficacious interventions to promote health and prevent diseases that have a significant impact on societies.
I am confident that the training that will be provided by the Borysiewicz Biomedical Sciences Fellowship will allow me to occupy a forefront position in tackling global health challenges by strengthening my leadership skills and by broadening my understanding on how to influence people and respond effectively to unanticipated challenges.
Dr Christopher M Proctor
I received my B.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Physics from the University of Michigan in 2008. Following two years as a general scientist at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, I earned my Ph.D. in Materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara where I investigated loss mechanisms in organic photovoltaics (2015).
Subsequently I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Whitaker International to develop implantable bioelectronic devices for treating neurological disorders at the Ecole des Mines de St Etienne and am now continuing this work as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge.
I envision the Borysiewicz Fellowship programme will help me grow as a leader in research and innovation in the biomedical field and beyond.
Dr Pietro Sormanni
I obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2016, following a MSc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Milan.
My research focuses on developing innovative data-driven technologies of rational antibody design to obtain antibodies against targets that have been challenging to access using conventional approaches. At the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, I am applying these technologies to generate novel opportunities for research, diagnostics, and eventually treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
The outcomes of the numerous collaborations and industrial partnerships we have established are beginning to demonstrate that computational approaches can be applied alongside established procedures to streamline antibody development, and to offer time- and cost-effective novel alternatives.
As a Borysiewicz Biomedical Sciences Fellow, I am planning to build the framework necessary for the translation of this research programme from the academic setting towards biomedical applications, in order to see some of these ideas through completion.
The Borysiewicz Biomedical Science Fellowship programme was established in 2017 through a generous gift from the Campaign Board
To learn more about the Borysiewicz Biomedical Fellowships, visit: www.opda.cam.ac.uk/career-development/Borysiewicz-fellowships