Please note that pre-registration is required for this event.Ìý
51³Ô¹ÏÍø is pleased to welcome Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), for a special event exploring BBSRC’s future strategy and priorities for the UK bioscience research community.
The session will begin with a short presentation from Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), outlining 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Strategy. This will be followed by a presentation from Professor Ferguson-Smith on BBSRC’s forward strategy, funding priorities, and vision for the future of bioscience research.
The event will conclude with an open question-and-answer session, providing attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with Professor Ferguson-Smith and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
This session is open to all 51³Ô¹ÏÍø staff with an interest in bioscience research, innovation, and research funding.
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Programme
- 10:30–10:40: Welcome and introduction to the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Strategy – Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
- 10:40–11:10: BBSRC Forward Strategy and Priorities – Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair, BBSRC
- 11:10–11:30: Q&A
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About the Speakers
Professor Mary Ryan is Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise and the Armourers and Brasiers’ Chair in Materials Science at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. She leads a large interdisciplinary research group focused on nanoscale materials and interfaces, pioneering operando approaches and advanced nanoscale methods in synchrotron science. As Vice-Provost, Mary provides strategic leadership for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s research and enterprise portfolio, shaping research strategy and driving innovation, translation and global partnerships. She leads 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s engagement with industry and external stakeholders to enhance the quality, impact and delivery of research. Mary is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), and was awarded CBE for services to materials science in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours. She serves as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Morgan Advanced Materials plc, a Board Member of the Francis Crick Institute, a Governing Board Member of the Henry Royce Institute, and a Member of the Science Tokyo Management Committee.
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Anne started this role on 1 July 2024. Before this appointment she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and International Partnerships at the University of Cambridge. A renowned mammalian developmental geneticist, genome biologist and epigeneticist, Professor Ferguson-Smith is the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics. She is also a Fellow of Darwin College. At the University of Cambridge, Professor Ferguson-Smith leads a research group comprised of experimental and computational scientists. They focus on the epigenetic control of genome function, particularly the implications of epigenetic inheritance for health and disease. Committed to the training and professional development of new talent, her team’s current work utilises experimental, computational and bioinformatic approaches to tackle contemporary questions in mammalian functional genomics and epigenetics. This includes investigating how genetic and environmental factors influence cellular and developmental processes. Anne’s has served, and continues to contribute, to several national and international advisory panels and boards and has been recognised with several honours and awards. In 2017 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the highest honours a scientist in the UK can achieve. She received the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society in 2021 for her pioneering work in epigenetics. In 2023, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her research contributions.