Talented early career researcher receives Rubicon award

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Anne-Grete Martson

Dr Anne-Grete Märtson has received a Rubicon award from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to carry out research at the University of Liverpool. For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career. The Rubicon grant allows young researchers to carry out their research at a foreign institute that offers the best environment for their research.

Having completed her PhD at Groningen University, the Rubicon award will support Anne-Grete’s research in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics for two years. Anne-Grete will join the Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutics Group (APT) led by Professor William Hope. The award will fund her research into new methods to combat emerging viruses.

Anne-Grete said: “I am delighted to have received a Rubicon award. Viruses with pandemic potential are continuously emerging. This award will allow me to carry out my research at the University of Liverpool. The laboratory led by William Hope is one of the few academic laboratories in the world that develops studies to both investigate the effect of anti-infectives on killing microorganisms and how the drugs are distributed in the body (full pre-clinical phase study package). Besides Professor Hope’s laboratory, the University of Liverpool has unique expertise in antimicrobial pharmacodynamics and antimicrobial resistance, with a strong track record of antiviral pharmacology in HIV and SARS-CoV-2.

I will use cytomegalovirus as a model to utilise a novel laboratory method to investigate emergence of resistance and viral killing. The method will provide new dosing regimens for cytomegalovirus treatment, and will be used to accelerate drug development for emerging viruses.”

Professor Reecha Sofat, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics said: “I am absolutely delighted for Anne. It is a fantastic achievement for her personally to receive this award and more broadly it addresses an emergent problem with clear unmet need. I look forward to tracking Anne’s success through this award.”