New treatment to protect patients from severe COVID-19 is being tested in the UK

New treatment to protect patients from severe COVID-19 is being tested in the UK

Sir Stephen Holgate MAE leads the research group at the University of Southampton where the new treatment has been developed. 


Interferon beta (IFNb) is a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body’s antiviral responses. Respiratory viruses, including coronavirus have developed a mechanism to suppress IFNb production by the lung, helping the virus to escape the immune response and thereby putting patients at risk of severe lung disease. 

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Gemma Modinos appointed Chair of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE) Board

Gemma Modinos appointed Chair of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE) Board


At the virtual 2020 annual general meeting, YAE members elected Dr Gemma Modinos as the new Chair of the Board


On becoming Chair of the YAE Board she said:

“It was a great honour for me to be elected Chair of the Young Academy of Europe, an organisation that I am passionate about. I am grateful to the previous Chairs for the opportunity to learn from them during my first two years on the Board. As young scholars prepare for the complex post-COVID world, my vision is to lead the YAE and to use its trans-disciplinary strengths and excellence to solve challenges we face in Europe. As a grassroots initiative, I truly believe in the YAE’s power to bring about change, as a platform for young scholars to build support, to explore and debate new ideas, and to have a clear voice in European science policy. I am looking forward to working alongside my colleagues in the YAE community to further enhance the YAE’s role and influence. I am also very excited about strengthening our partnership with Academia Europaea and the wonderful opportunities that this will bring for both organisations, as well as for the wider European research community.”

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Richard Catlow knighted in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List

Richard Catlow knighted in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List

The AE Cardiff Hub is delighted that Richard Catlow, a member of AE has been honoured for his services to science research.  



About Sir Richard Catlow FRS FRSC FInstP

Professor Catlow is Professor of Catalytic and Computational Chemistry at Cardiff University and University College London. His work in the field of computational and experimental studies of complex inorganic materials has offered insight into the mechanisms of industrial catalysis applying computer models to solid state and materials chemistry to investigate the synthesis, structure and properties of materials in the solid phase. He is one of the founding members of the UK Catalysis Hub and has led the Research programme running at Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH) since 2013.

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Professor Valerie O’Donnell elected member of Academia Europaea

Professor Valerie O’Donnell elected member of Academia Europaea


Val O’Donnell from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine has been elected in recognition of her academic excellence. 


Academia Europaea has announced that 361 international scholars have been elected for membership.  Valerie O’Donnell is among those receiving the distinction. 


About Valerie O’Donnell

Professor Val O’Donnell is co-director of the Systems Immunity Research Institute, School of Medicine at Cardiff University. Her research focuses on discovery and characterisation of inflammatory bioactive lipids involved in cardiovascular disease, dementia and wound healing. 

Val O’Donnell is an editor of the open access journal FUNCTION. Her review into the potential of oral mouthwash to reduce Covid-19 transmission in the early stages of infection was the first paper published by the journal. She has recently been awarded Fellowship of The Academy of Medical Sciences.

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From Research to Public Health Policy by Professor Martin McKee MAE

From Research to Public Health Policy by Professor Martin McKee MAE

Professor Martin McKee tells us about his passion for Public Health, his role at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and his latest research on the adverse effects of movement restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Martin McKee

Martin McKee is Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He qualified in medicine in Northern Ireland and later trained in public health in London. He is Research Director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. He has published over 1,180 scientific papers and 46 books on health and health policy with a particular focus on countries undergoing political and social transition. He is a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London, Edinburgh, and Ireland. His contributions to European health policy have been recognised by election to the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine and other academies. He was elected to the Academia Europaea in 2018. 

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Understanding asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by Professor Peter Barnes MAE

Understanding asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by Professor Peter Barnes MAE

Peter Barnes tells us about his career highlights and the effect of COVID-19 on his research.

About Peter Barnes

Peter Barnes is Professor of Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute and Honorary Consultant Physician at Royal Brompton Hospital, London. He has worked as a respiratory scientist for over 40 years and was Head of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College from 1987 to 2017. He has been the most highly cited respiratory researcher in the world over the last 30 years (h-index = 185) and recently ranked as 4th most highly cited researcher in the world across all areas. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.  He was elected a Member of Academia Europaea in 2012.

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