The Cellular Life research cluster brings together researchers seeking to understand the underlying mechanisms of living organisms, with an emphasis on the cell – the fundamental building block of life. From the nerve cells that wire our brain to the specialised cells of the pancreas and liver that control how our body processes food, understanding how cells work will transform our knowledge of ourselves, as well as our ability to cure disease. Research on cellular life impacts not only medicine but also public policy; for example, ageing, which is caused by the accumulation of cellular defects, is of as much interest to social scientists as to gerontologists.
We are particularly keen to attract and engage researchers from the Medical Sciences Division working in any discipline from physiology to genomics, studying diseases as varied as diabetes and cancer, as well as social scientists with interests ranging from medical ethics to the promotion of healthy ageing.