ApconiX Awards Prize for Best Toxicology Project
ApconiX is very happy to sponsor the best MSc Toxicology Project prize at the University of Birmingham.
This year’s winner was Christopher Cox. Chris was investigating the mechanisms of toxicity of ferro-nucleobases developed at Birmingham by James Tucker (Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry) in pancreatic ductal adenoma cell lines. (J. Med. Chem., 2014, 57 (13), pp 5817–5822). The project title is “Toxicity of a Novel Nucleoside Analogue Containing Ferrocene”.
Chris has just started a PhD in pharmacology at the University of Liverpool as part of the MRC Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), researching into tissue engineering and investigating idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions. The aim of the research is to establish new cell-based in-vitro models that can sufficiently represent biological tissues in their in-vivo environment. These models can then be utilised for investigating toxicity during drug development, promoting the replacement of animals in scientific research and reducing the risk to human volunteers during clinical trials. The use of induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in these models will also enable the investigation of the mechanisms that underlie adverse drug reactions (ADRs) seen in certain patients in response to certain drugs. Developing patient-specific models and gaining knowledge of the mechanisms of toxicity for these ADRs will help to drive the progression towards personalised medicine.
Dr Nik Hodges, Course Director, commented, “We are so pleased that ApconiX agreed to support this prize. Chris is an outstanding student with a bright future in science”
“As an integrated toxicology and ion channel provider, ApconiX is delighted to support excellence in teaching and achievement in the core discipline of toxicology,” added Ruth Roberts, Chair in Drug Discovery at the University of Birmingham.
