Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine
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idrm.ox.ac.uk
Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine
@idrm.ox.ac.uk
The Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine combines cardiovascular science, neuroscience and immunology to find new drugs and therapies.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for last week’s Get To Know Each Other event at the IDRM, and to all our fantastic speakers and poster presenters who made the afternoon such a success!
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
This week’s featured scientific image, "From blueprint to beating - engineering human cardiac development in a dish," comes from Selin Tüzüner (Simões Group), whose work was selected as a finalist in the BHF Reflections of Research competition.

Read more: lnkd.in/dQ4rZR9t

#ScientificImaging
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
✨ Monthly Featured Member ✨

Meet Mary Deadman, who recently retired after an incredible 44 years at the University, most recently as Laboratory Manager for the Holländer Group. Mary has supported countless projects and colleagues throughout her career.

🔗Read more: shorturl.at/SWhc5
November 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
This Christmas, we’re teaming up with the Department of Paediatrics to support #Sleigh2Give and bring festive cheer to children in hospitals and families across Oxfordshire. 🎁✨

Donate brand new, unwrapped gifts by 12 Dec to help make the holidays a little brighter.
November 13, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Today’s scientific image of the week, “Cellular Hummingbird”, comes from Elizabeth Figueroa-Juárez.

🧫 She’s modelling atherosclerosis in vitro using hiPSC-derived endothelial cells.

✨ The colours and shape reminded her of hummingbirds—“gods’ messengers from the afterlife,” in Mayan legend.
November 12, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Today’s #ScientificImage — “Where Vessels Begin,” comes from @degrainger.bsky.social, a postdoctoral researcher in IDRM's Stone group.

💬"We are working to understand how blood and lymphatic vessels form during embryonic development and how organ-specific characteristics of these vessels arise."
November 6, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Last week's spooky creations, courtesy of IDRM's Mommersteeg Group, were carved just in time for Halloween! @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social
November 3, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine
Our Institute for Desperately Regrowing Moustaches @idrm.ox.ac.uk is raising money for men’s mental health, suicide prevention, and prostate and testicular cancer awareness by growing moustaches. Please donate on our Movember page if you're able!

movember.com/t/institute-...
Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM)'s Mo Space
Movember, the month formerly known as November, is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health.
movember.com
November 2, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Rise of the Arteries — a lightsheet image capturing the intricate vascular network of a developing mouse heart.

By visualising endothelial and smooth muscle cells in 3D, researchers at IDRM reveal the beauty of coronary vessel formation.

📷 Credit: Konstantinos Miti & Polen Bareke
October 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
New research led by @klekkos.bsky.social and @tillymommersteeg.bsky.social at the IDRM and DPAG has uncovered an essential role for oxidative metabolism in heart regeneration.

Read the full paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Read the overview of the study: tinyurl.com/2syythet
October 2, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine
More new work from the lab! @idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social
Do all zebrafish regenerate their hearts equally? Also featuring the Mexican cavefish☺️
Thanks to all co-authors and especially the incredibly talented DPhil student Kostas Lekkos who drove the project. #zebrafish #heartregeneration
October 1, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Meet Antonio Garcia Guerra, a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Rinaldi Group, and our August featured member.

Antonio's research focuses on cell-specific gene editing in neuromuscular disease.

Find out more about his research: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
@oxfordpaediatrics.bsky.social
August 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
How do you turn cutting-edge science into a business idea?

We spoke with Dr Sophie Payne (IDRM, DPAG), a postdoctoral researcher, about her journey on the Oxford Venture Builder, where she pitched her enhancer-based gene therapy idea.

Read the full interview: lnkd.in/dx27XkV8
August 18, 2025 at 10:02 AM
🎉Congratulations to the IDRM's Professor Sarah De Val on being awarded the title of Professor of Cardiovascular Science by the University of Oxford 🎉
#CardiovascularScience #AcademicAchievement #WomenInSTEM
August 11, 2025 at 10:59 AM
🎉Huge congratulations to Dr Nancy Stathopoulou, IDRM Transition Fellow @oxfordpaediatrics.bsky.social who has been awarded the BHF Intermediate Science Research Fellowship by the @thebhf.bsky.social.
Nancy’s work focuses on epigenetics in cardiac development and congenital heart disease.
July 30, 2025 at 12:15 PM
👋Meet Konstantinos Lekkos, a DPhil Student in the Mommersteeg group, and our most recent featured member.

Kostas' research focuses on the role of oxidative metabolism in zebrafish heart regeneration.

Find out more about his research: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
@oxforddpag.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 6:06 PM
🎉 Congratulations to Konstantinos Lekkos, a 2nd year DPhil student in the Mathilda Mommersteeg Group. Kostas won first prize at this year’s Oxford MRC-DTP Symposium with his talk on a novel discovery in zebrafish metabolism and heart regeneration. @oxforddpag.bsky.social
July 21, 2025 at 10:05 AM
🚨 The Simões Group is hiring!

Join Filipa's team here at the IDRM as a Research Assistant and help advance cutting-edge cardiovascular regeneration research.

🔗 Apply now: lnkd.in/eKiSHWht
📅 Deadline: Midday 1st August 2025
July 8, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Tomorrow is #ResearchAppreciationDay2025!

On the final day of our countdown, we’re spotlighting new work from the Thomas Roberts Group (Ahlskog et al.) that challenges a proposed strategy for upregulating therapeutically relevant genes.

🔬 Study: tinyurl.com/4sd3kc86
📰 Story: tinyurl.com/mka7f3j5
A new study challenges a potential gene-activating mechanism using antisense oligonucleotides
A new study from the Roberts Group, Ahlskog et al., published in Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids, challenges the therapeutic potential of a mechanism previously thought to upregulate protein
tinyurl.com
July 4, 2025 at 12:05 PM
It is day 3 of our #ResearchAppreciationDay2025 countdown!

Dr Filipa Simões and team reveal how immune cells shape the heart from the earliest stages and guide regeneration in species like zebrafish.

🔬 Read the review: shorturl.at/kIYBf
July 3, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Next up in our countdown to #ResearchAppreciationDay2025, we are spotlighting public engagement at the IDRM!

IDRM researchers took part in Pint of Science 2025, bringing research and more to local Oxford pubs. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

🔗 Read more: shorturl.at/z3yUI
July 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
🔬 Research Appreciation Day 2025, Saturday, July 5th, is just around the corner. To mark the occasion, we will spotlight a different project from the IDRM each day until Saturday in our very own Research Appreciation Week!
July 1, 2025 at 3:05 PM
👋Meet Claudio Cortes Rodriguez, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Riley group, and our most recent featured member.

Claudio's research focuses on uncovering the cause of defects in the heart wall.

Find out more about Claudio's research: lnkd.in/ebKNJ-zE

@oxforddpag.bsky.social
June 25, 2025 at 11:29 AM
This #CleanAirDay, we’re highlighting the small changes and big ambitions shaping sustainability at the IDRM.

Yesterday’s biodiversity walk through the Lye Valley was a good reminder of what we’re working to protect: clean air, healthy ecosystems, and time to connect with nature.
June 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine
Truly heart galore here at @thebhf.bsky.social Reflections of Research competition! My vote goes to @selintuzuner.bsky.social beautiful cardiac organoid!! Have you voted yet? @idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk #OxfordOrganoidHub
3) Clinging on to life by Kyle Shead, University of Glasgow

4) From blueprint to beating – engineering human cardiac development in a dish by Selin Tüzüner, University of Oxford
June 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM