The full programme can be viewed online. Below you can download PDFs of a selection of the presentations.
- Welcome and introduction
- Equality, diversity and inclusion at RDM
- From research to innovation
- Research sustainability in RDM
- Dr Verena Korber: Quantifying clonal selection in human somatic tissues using a single bulk whole genome sequencing sample.
- Dr Ashley Kamimae-Lanning: Endogenous formaldehyde drives extinction and clonal dominance of haematopoietic stem cells.
- Ross Chapman: Mechanisms controlling the repair of DNA breaks - the importance of good decision making.
- RDM Highlights
- RDM Graduate Prize Talk
More than 60 posters were presented by students and after lengthy discussions, the judges awarded prizes to:
Aimee Ruffle for her poster ‘Lentiviral gene therapy for fatal ABCA3 surfactant protein deficiency’.
Megan Teh for her poster ‘Iron-deficiency induced mitochondrial dysfunction results in a bottleneck for aspartate utilisation’.
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Introducing the EDI Champions
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Academic Lead Professor Anne Goriely presented an overview of the results of the staff experience survey which was completed last year, and talked about the initiatives the RDM Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC) are currently working on. In an effort to drive forward improved communication across the Department about EDI initiatives and challenges, five new RDM EDI Champions have been announced from each of RDM’s divisions:
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine: Betty Raman
- Investigative Medicine Division: Sumana Sharma
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Stephen Minay
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine: Noelle Obers
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism: Matt Neville.
The EDI Champions will join RDM EDIC and report on local initiatives and challenges, and learn about other initiatives happening across RDM. They will also be a point of contact for staff and arrange local events for staff and students within their respective divisions.
Explore the MRC WIMM Facilities
During RDM Day, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) highlighted its state-of-the-art facilities which can provide services for users both within and outside of the University. Watch videos about each of the facilities on the MRC WIMM website.
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Prizes
RDM Day concluded with a prize-giving from Head of Department, Professor Keith Channon, to recognise the outstanding work of colleagues and students across the Department.
The RDM Graduate Prize was awarded to Dr Asger Jakobsen, from Paresh Vyas’ group. The Prize is awarded annually to current or recently graduated students of RDM supervisors on the basis of exceptional achievement in their research. Asger was recognised for his work on understanding the genetic condition clonal haematopoiesis, which could be the key to identifying individuals who are at risk of developing cancer. Upon receiving the prize, he said: ’I feel very honoured to receive the RDM Graduate Prize, and I am hugely grateful for the support of my fantastic supervisors, colleagues and collaborators who made this project possible.’
A full list of awards and recipients can be found below.
Graduate Student Citizenship Award
When reviewing the nominations for the RDM Graduate Prize over the last few years, it became evident that many of our students contribute positively to the RDM community. This is something that we are now celebrating with a new award – the RDM Graduate Student Citizenship Award, which went to Martin Fellermeyer from the Simon Davis lab.
Nominators described Martin as someone who always went above and beyond, volunteering for tasks beyond his official responsibilities, demonstrating his exceptional compassion and humanity towards his fellow students.
Awards for Excellent Supervision
This award recognises exceptional contribution to education and excellence in teaching and learning support and mentorship of student. The winners are:
Professor Damian Tyler. Damian was recognised for his unwavering commitment to fostering a nurturing and productive environment. He fosters a culture of learning and inquiry, supporting students’ exploration and trusting in their abilities to push the boundaries. Nominators also described Damian’s holistic approach to personal and professional development to promote a good work-life balance, encouraging participation in sports, clubs and societies.
Graham Davies. Students described Graham as warm, cheerful and someone who shows genuine concern and interest in his students. His pastoral care makes students feel that they are listened to and supported without judgement. Nominators said he can strike the perfect balance between offering guidance and encouraging independence, and sacrifices his time to support, offer insight and help trouble-shoot persistent problems with his students.
Professor Stefan Neubauer. Nominators described Stefan’s great wisdom, experience and kindness, humility, empathy and understanding. He has invested significant time and effort to support his students and provided mentorship to everyone from DPhil students, to post-docs and mid-to-senior career individuals. Stefan provides sound career advice and is an advocate for personal and professional growth, encouraging discovery, learning and self-improvement.
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PLANNING RDM DAY 2025
Thank you to all those who took time to fill out the RDM Day survey. As well as a huge amount of positive feedback, we’ve also received some interesting ideas and we are looking forward to exploring how we could implement these for next year’s event.
If you have any comments or suggestions to make for next year's event, please contact communications@rdm.ox.ac.uk.