Konstantinos Prokopidis from the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences and Theano Kyriakou from the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology are the recipients of the 2024/2025 prestigious Professor John Glover Memorial Award, a funding scheme designed to support exceptional PhD students in advancing their research and academic careers in the life sciences.
The Award, designed to maximise impact and aid in the submission of work for publication, will support Theano’s research examining lung fibrosis, a condition where the lungs become scarred and which can result in breathing problems and Konstantinos’s research, which focuses on muscle wastage in patients with heart failure.
The Award was established by the family of Professor John Glover, a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Biochemistry at the University of Liverpool. Professor Glover started his illustrious career in 1947, devoting 39 years to students at the University. Professor Glover was keen to support talented PhD students striving to transition to an academic career, leading the Glover family to set up this generous award in his memory.
On behalf of the family, Dr Brian Glover said: "Our father was always very aware of the challenge that researchers face in getting their work published after they have submitted their PhD. Heart failure and lung fibrosis are devastating diseases, so I am proud that this award has the potential to have a real health impact. I know that he would also have been delighted to support the next step in the career of two outstanding researchers at the University of Liverpool, an institution which was very important to him."
On winning the award, Konstantinos, from the Department of Pharmacology, said: "I would like to express my gratitude to the Professor John Glover family for this award. This support means a lot for my research journey, providing me with further opportunity to explore muscle wasting-related mechanisms that could lead to therapeutic interventions with meaningful impact in this population. Thank you."
Theano, from the Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, said: "The continuation of my work made possible by this award will not only enhance the translational relevance of my research, but also greatly strengthen my competitiveness for future postdoctoral positions as I embark in a new chapter of my career. I am deeply grateful to the donors for their belief in the value of my work, lung fibrosis is a devastating disease of an unknown cause, which currently has no cure."
Professor Peter McCormick, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Affairs and International Partnerships said: "Professor Glover was a champion of scientific excellence and nurturing the next generation of researchers. In the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, we are privileged to honour that legacy through a generous gift from the Glover family.
This year we are using that gift to support Kostas and Theano—two exceptional scientists whose work on muscle wasting in heart failure and lung fibrosis holds real potential to transform lives.
This award is not only a tribute to Professor Glover’s memory but also a meaningful investment in the future of biomedical discovery."