The ERC Advanced Grants competition, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, is one of the most prestigious and competitive funding schemes in the EU. It gives senior researchers the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. A record of 3,329 proposals was submitted to this funding round, with 9.6% of proposals being selected for funding.
Professor KJ Patel’s research will focus on DNA repair pathways and their effect on human health and ageing. Previous work by his group identified that chemicals such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde – produced in the body through metabolism, diet and alcohol consumption – damage DNA, causing cancer and tissue degeneration. In this ERC-funded programme, his team will investigate these effects in vital organs, such as the brain, liver and kidney, to understand how the body protects against them. They will also screen for potential drug candidates to reduce age-related decline linked to metabolic stress.
Speaking about the award, Professor Patel said:
By uncovering how different organs respond to DNA damage caused by everyday metabolic processes, we hope to identify new strategies for protecting human health as we age. I’m very grateful to receive this support from the ERC, which is a tremendous vote of confidence in both the scientific questions we pursue and in the talented colleagues and collaborators whose expertise and dedication make this ambitious research possible.
Read the full story on the University of Oxford homepage: Fourteen Oxford academics awarded major European Research Council Advanced Grants