Monday the 4th of September

Kirsty Spalding and Samuel Bernard have published a new research article in the philosophical transactions of the royal society. In this paper they built two cohorts of virtual patients using lipid turnover rates as previously determined using radio-carbon dating in the Spalding Lab. These cohorts are subsequently used to investigate the mathematical coherence of two different paradigms regarding the role of energy intake and weight gain. The article can be read here. 

Wednesday the 9th of August 2023

Two media stories, covering radiocarbon dating and senescence, have recently been published, interviewing and touching on the work of the Spalding Lab.  The first is by the BBC and is all about the legacy of the nuclear weapon tests in the 1950s, how the "bomb spike" has been used by scientist. For example, Kirsty and the lab have used it to show you can date the age of cells, that fat cells turnover and that even brain cells can regenerate. This article can be read here. The second newspaper publication of this summer was in Svenska Dagbladet. This article is about the start of human trials with rejuvenating drugs. Kirsty gave some input on senescent adipocytes. This article (in Swedish) can be read here.

Monday the 12th of June 2023

The Spalding Lab currently has an available post doc position for a researcher who wants to invesitgate the links between obesity and cancer. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for cancer and predicts poor clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remains unclear.  The postdoctoral fellow will investigate the contribution of white adipose tissue fat cells to cancer progression, with a particular focus on how adipocytes promote metastasis in human cancers. You can read more about and apply for the research project here. The deadline for applying is midnight CEST on Tuesday July 11th, 2023. 

Monday the 20th of March 2023

The Spalding Lab currently has an available post doc position for a researcher who wants to invesitgate the role of DNA damage in adipocyte senescence and inflammation in obese, hyperinsulinemic individuals. Senescent cells, which can release factors that cause inflammation and dysfunction, increase in adipose tissue and associate with obesity and hyperinsulinemia. The proposed project will determine whether oxidative stress and DNA damage in human adipocytes drives adipocyte senescence, and the associated pro-inflammatory secretory profile. A small molecule approach to attenuate adipocyte DNA damage and reverse adipocyte senescence will be investigated. You can read more about the research project here. Want to apply, then click here. The deadline for applying is midnight CEST on Sunday 30th April, 2023. 

Tuesday the 22nd of November 2022

Kirsty and Qian Li (a former PhD student in the lab and now PI at Fudan University, Shanghai) have published a mini review on adipocyte growth in white adipose tissue. In this article they describe how adipocytes can accommodate the dramatic changes in their phenotype and how cellular growth can lead to (metabolic) dysfunction and changes in the vasculature. The article can be read here. 

Wednesday the 22nd of December 2021

Kirsty has recently been awarded a grant from the ASPIRE (Accelerating Scientific Platforms and Innovative Research) programme from the Mark Foundation. This award supports high-risk, high-reward cancer research that answers proof-of-concept questions in the cancer field. This year the Mark Foundation has for the first time awarded grants outside of the US and the lab is very excited to be among the groups receiving funding. The lab will use the funding for its project “Targeting fat cells to reduce breast cancer progression and metastasis in humans”. Karolinska Institutets press release can be read here.