The scheme is a partnership between the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust, and provides five years of funding for postdoctoral researchers who aim to become independent scientists leading their own groups. Dr Hartley’s research programme is focused on understanding the relationship between apnoeas and brain function in premature infants; it is due to start in 2019.
Premature infants often experience apnoeas – cessation of breathing – which can result in decreased oxygen supply to the brain. Yet whether this impacts brain development is unclear. The aim of Caroline's Fellowship is to gain a better understanding of the interaction between brain activity and apnoeas in premature infants in both the immediate and long-term, with the ultimate aim of improving outcomes for prematurely-born children.
I am truly honoured to be awarded this Fellowship and very excited to have the opportunity to investigate these fascinating and clinically relevant questions. Current rapid advances in technology will allow me to harness new developments and derive novel tools to obtain a comprehensive picture of preterm development, which I hope will lead to improved treatment for some of the most vulnerable members of our society" - said Dr Hartley.
Professor Rebeccah Slater, the head of the Paediatric Neuroimaging Group, commented on the Fellowship: "Caroline's award of a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship is a fantastic personal achievement. Supporting postdocs making the transition to establishing their independent academic careers is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, and I am delighted that Caroline will remain in our department to further build paediatric neuroscience research at Oxford."
The Department of Paediatrics' ongoing commitment to support early careers researchers has recently been recognised with an Athena SWAN Silver Award. "This fellowship is in recognition of Caroline’s outstanding scientific contributions at this early stage of what is without a doubt a promising career. In the name of the entire Department of Paediatrics, I wish her the very best" said Professor Georg Hollander, the Head of Department.
Read more about the research of the Paediatric Neuroimaging Group.