The University of Cambridge has recruited Professor Austin Smith to head a new Institute for Stem Cell Biology. The Institute is being created to bring together outstanding researchers with the aim of harnessing stem cell biology for future medical applications.

Professor Austin Smith will serve as Chairperson of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology. Professor Smith, who is currently the Director of the MRC Centre of Development in Stem Cell Biology, at the University of Edinburgh, will initially share his time between Cambridge and Edinburgh before moving with his lab to Cambridge in August 2006. Professor Smith is also coordinator of the major trans-European stem cell project, EuroStemCell, a role he will maintain upon his move to Cambridge.

His research in Cambridge will focus in particular on embryonic stem cells, determining how stem cells maintain themselves and how they undertake specialisation to produce the different cell types of the body.

Professor Smith will be joining a significant number of eminent stem cell researchers who have been leading the Cambridge Stem Cell Initiative, including Professors Roger Pedersen, Azim Surani, Charles ffrench-Constant, Tony Green, Anne Cooke, James Fawcett, Jim Smith, Dr. Sarah Bray and others.

“The Institute for Stem Cell Biology in Cambridge aims to be the flagship for European stem cell research. Although stem cell research is highly politicised in the U.S. there is still a lot more funding there. As we heard only this week from Professor Robert Winston, moving stem cell research towards the clinic is a challenging and long-term task. Concentrating resources to support outstanding scientists in an exceptional environment like Cambridge is the best opportunity to make real progress and compete globally” said Professor Smith.

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