The Academy of Medical Sciences has awarded £6.3 million to early career researchers through its Springboard programme, including three awards funded by us.
Now in its eleventh year, 2026 sees Springboard programme funding awarded to 55 researchers at 35 universities across the UK. Since launching in 2015, the programme has backed 471 researchers at 68 UK institutions, with over £50 million invested. It has been made possible with funding from us, alongside the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Wellcome Trust.
The awards of up to £125,000 help researchers take their first steps as independent group leaders, giving them time, confidence and resources to test ambitious ideas with long term potential.
"Tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs"
Professor James Leiper, our Director of Research, said: “Tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs start with today’s innovative ideas. Programmes like Springboard give early career researchers the backing and belief to take risks, follow their curiosity and ask questions that can change lives.
"We’re proud to support this work which has the potential to unlock new insights into heart and circulatory diseases, and open doors to better prevention and treatments, strengthening the UK’s research talent for years to come.”
Our funding will support three researchers as they begin their independent research careers
More effective testing
Dr Roddy Walsh at City St George’s University of London, whose research aims to make genetic testing for Brugada syndrome – an inherited heart rhythm condition – more effective.
Tragically, a sudden death in the family can often be the first sign that the family is affected by Brugada syndrome. The complex nature of this condition has impacted the discovery of genetic variants that can cause the condition. Identifying new genes that can cause Brugada syndrome could make clinical genetic testing more effective and help clinicians manage the condition and prevent sudden death.
In this project, researchers will develop new approaches to identify genes linked to Brugada syndrome. They will analyse anonymised genetic data from patients with the condition and participants in the UK biobank, and will confirm links between genes and the condition in zebrafish.
Warning sign
Dr Giulia De Rossi at University College London is interested in why the smallest blood vessels in our bodies (capillaries) can gradually disappear as we age. This is a process called vasoregression and it is a warning sign for several serious conditions including vision loss, dementia, diabetes-related complications, and kidney disease.
In this study, Dr Rossi will use advanced imaging techniques to track these tiny vessels in retina – at the back of the eye – in mice as they age. Understanding how and why small blood vessels disappear could lead to better ways of detecting and treating diseases early.
Working in harmony
Dr Caglar Gok at the University Lincoln aims to understand more about changes seen in heart failure, a debilitating condition that affects over one million people in the UK.
Proteins are the building blocks of every cell in our bodies, and thousands of proteins in the heart work in harmony to produce a healthy heartbeat. In healthy hearts, some these proteins undergo chemical changes that affect how they operate – something seen at lower levels in failing hearts.
This study aims to understand more about this particular network of proteins and how they are involved in heart failure, which could help identify new opportunities for treatment.
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