Two researchers from the University of Liverpool's Faculty of Health and Life Sciences have been awarded prestigious Springboard Awards from the Academy of Medical Sciences
Awarded to Dr Hayley Lavender (pictured right) and Dr Paraskevi (Pari) Kritsiligkou, the awards support biomedical researchers at the start of their independent post to help launch their research careers. This includes funding of up to £125,000 over two years and access to the Academy's mentoring and career development programme.
Dr Pari Kritsiligkou is a Tenure Track Fellow in the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology. The Springboard Award will support her research into fungal pathogenic resilience - a global health challenge where fungal pathogens are adapting to protect themselves against treatment. Recent estimates describe an annual incidence of 6.5 million invasive fungal infections and 3.8 million deaths, of which about 2.5 million were directly attributable to those infections
Dr Kritsiligkou commented: "Fungal pathogenic resilience is an emerging global health threat. This prestigious award will help us understand how fungal antioxidants are enabling resistance to the immune system. Characterising these mechanisms will lead to the development of novel antifungal drugs, that are urgently needed. The mentorship and training opportunities provided with the award will help me continue to grow as an independent group leader. I am very grateful to the faculty for their valuable support."
Dr Hayley Lavender is a Lecturer in Microbial Pathogenesis in the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences. Her research focuses on interactions between Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea, and the human immune system.
Gonorrhoea represents a major public health challenge; cases in the UK have tripled over the past decade, reaching a record 85,000 in 2023, with an estimated 82 million infections worldwide each year. The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance, including resistance to last-line treatments, threatens the continued effectiveness of current therapies. Her work aims to better understand host-pathogen interactions to inform the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Dr Lavender said: "This Springboard award will allow us to uncover how N. gonorrhoeae evades the human complement system. By combining genomic and functional approaches, we aim to identify novel mechanisms that contribute to how this bacterium causes infection that can be used to identify new targets to inform alternative strategies to combat this drug-resistant pathogen.
"I am delighted to receive this prestigious award, which will support my research group and career development. Furthermore, I am grateful for the continued support of my colleagues and mentors, both past and present, and look forward to building new collaborations through the Springboard programme."
Professor Claire Eyers, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact) for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences said: "These awards build on our long‑standing success in supporting Springboard researchers, with many previous awardees going on to secure major fellowships, grants and international recognition. This continued success reflects sustained institutional investment in early‑career researchers, through protected research time, mentoring and a highly collaborative research environment.
"We are delighted to see Dr Lavender and Dr Kritsiligkou join this strong cohort of Springboard awardees and look forward to the significant advances they will achieve on the back of this funding. Their ambitious research programmes exemplify both the quality of talent within the Faculty and the impact that Springboard support can have in accelerating research careers and delivering real health benefits."
