simply blood

Each month, Simply Blood spotlights a lab focused on the research of basic hematology, immunology, stem cell research, cell and gene therapy, and other related aspects. Get to know these different labs around the world! This month, we are featuring the Murphy Lab at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. How long have you had your lab? 4 years How many members make up your lab?  Students/postdocs? We currently have 3 postdocs, 5 Ph.D. students, and 2 Honours students. What is the major research theme of your lab? My lab focuses on how chronic inflammatory disorders promote the enhanced production of myeloid cells. This is largely in the context of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the associated co-morbidities and dietary risk-factors. This is important as we and others have shown over the past 5-10 years that enhanced production of myeloid cells directly influences CVD. Thus, understanding the different mechanisms each risk-factor utilizes to communicate wi...

In just a few weeks, the Covid-19 situation has tremendously changed people´s lives, shaking up our habits and redefining priorities. From the typical hectic rhythm of research life, measures to confront the pandemic has drastically transformed our working routine. In a time where confinement is erected as the best and only shield against the virus, Sweden stands out by its particular management of the crisis situation. Our lab, the Cell, Tissue and Organ engineering laboratory is located in Lund, in the southern part of Sweden. Lund is a vibrant university town -the second largest in the country, and a particular hub regarding hematopoietic and neuroscience research. Here, we study how human bones form, function and repair upon trauma. We develop new in vitro and in vivo tools providing advanced models of human bones, towards deciphering their incredible regenerative capacity, but also understanding how they orchestrate the formation of new blood cells. Of course, like any other...

We are experiencing a global pandemic that none of us have ever encountered before. It has brought with it many challenges, particularly for researchers whose work consists largely of wet laboratory experiments. Additional challenges are faced by researchers who have dependent children at home with them. Being an international society, the situation in each country is different and changing constantly. However there are many commonalities, including forming strategies to work effectively from home, which is a situation that many may not be familiar with. This blog is predominantly directed at the early to mid-career researchers, but the information may also be of help to more senior researchers. First, stay calm. We cannot control the current situation but we can control how we respond to it. The top priority should be to be safe, happy and healthy. Make sure you keep on top of your mental health, if you are suffering from significant anxiety, depression or other mental health issue...

To the ISEH Community: Dear friends and colleagues, Around the world, we are experiencing unprecedented times. The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has resulted in subsequent safety concerns, travel restrictions, and a call for social distancing.  In an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our attendees, speakers, sponsors, and staff, the ISEH Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to postpone our in-person ISEH Annual Meeting in New York City , USA, to next year in August 2021. Many of us look forward to this event every year – we get to preview the latest and best research happening around the world and gather with a close community of researchers. The Annual Meeting continues to be a cornerstone of the ISEH community, and as such, we are excited to announce that ISEH 2020 will transform into a Virtual Scientific Meeting planned for the same initial week of August 17th, 2020. As we are in the early phase of putting together this online eve...