A rising research star from the University of Warwick has been awarded a prestigious Sir Henry Dale Fellowship.

Dr Andrew Bowman who is based at the University’s Warwick Medical School received the award in a scheme run by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science.

The Sir Henry Dale Fellowships were created for outstanding post-doctoral scientists wishing to build their own UK-based, independent research career addressing an important biomedical question.

As well as the official recognition of Dr Bowman’s work the Fellowship will provide financial support for his research which is focused on how the building blocks of the human genome are assembled inside the cell.

Dr Bowman said: “My research examines how the human genome is packaged within the tight confines of the cell, a process that is important in the correct regulation of gene expression and also in preventing damage to DNA. DNA damage and expression of the wrong genes in the wrong cells are the basis of numerous diseases in humans. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the fundamental stages of chromosome packaging could potentially provide insights into the cellular basis of human pathologies.

“The funding provided by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society will not only allow me to address important scientific questions but also provides me with a fantastic opportunity to develop myself as an independent researcher.”

Dr Bowman works within Warwick Medical School’s Division of Biomedical Sciences which has a focus on understanding human cells at a molecular level. These cells affect major human diseases including cancer, inflammation, neuro-degeneration and bacterial and viral infections. His work is essential for developing effective therapeutic treatments. The Fellowship scheme supports research ranging from the molecules and cells vital to life and their role in the global spread of disease, to clinical and public health research seeking to improve the quality of healthcare.

The Fellowship is held for five years and is named after Sir Henry Dale OM GBE FRS who won the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his findings about how nerves use chemicals to transmit messages to each other. He was President of the Royal Society from 1940 to 1945 and was a founding Trustee and Chairman of the Wellcome Trust.

29 November 2017

For further details please get in touch with Nicola Jones, Media Relations Manager 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk