Only 4 days left to the 10th edition of Genetics Matters!

Genetics Matters flyers 2015-2026.

Time really flies when you’re having fun!

This year marks the 10th edition of our popular Genetics Matters – a Rare Disease Day event. Over the years we have chatted to over 900 people, exhibited work by 20+ genetic and rare disease laboratories, interacted with multiple charities and patient organisations and worked tirelessly to raise awareness of rare diseases and rare disease research in the North East.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone at the Great North Museum: Hancock this Saturday at 10am. There will be presentations, debates, hands on experiments, microscopes, activities, enthusiastic scientists, free lunch, and some yummy cake.

Event agenda

09:30-10:10 Arrival and tea/coffee

10:10-10:15 Welcome – Kasia Pirog

10:15-10:30 Introduction to the rare disease landscape at Newcastle – John Sayer

10:30-10:50 Jordi Diaz-Manera: Presenting the MyoGuide – a resource to advance diagnosis and research in neuromuscular diseases

10:50-11:10 Sophie Hambleton: What are ‘Advanced Therapies’ and what hope do they offer for people living with a rare disease?

11:10-11:30 Annette Pantall: A patient’s perspective on the importance of genetics and novel therapies

11:30-11:50 Carly Nicklin: Anthony Nolan, a pioneering UK charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders by managing a stem cell donor register

11:50-12:30 Debate: How do we get more treatments to the people who need them? In the absence of medicines and cures for many conditions, how do we help patients live their best lives? How do we address inequities for people living with a rare disease?

12:30-13:00 Lunch (buffet)

13:00-15:00 Round tables (lab demos, hands on activities, approx. 10-15 min per table)

  • rare skin conditions & microbiology,
  • chondrodysplasias & connective tissue engineering,
  • neuromuscular disorders,
  • Human Developmental Biology Resource (HDBR),
  • cystic fibrosis research,
  • blood marrow donation matching,
  • rare eye diseases and eye organoids,
  • inborn errors of immunity,
  • rare kidney disease,
  • NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation

CHANGE annual meeting in Padova

The final CHANGE MSCA DN meeting took place in Padova last week. It was great to see how far our students have advanced their research and how they developed into mature scientists driving their own program of research and building their own networks.

We are very proud of you all!

Thank you to Prof Paolo Bonaldo, Prof Paola Braghetta and Prof Matilde Cescon for organising a great meeting and looking after us all.

It is sad that this consortium is coming to an end but we hope to continue working with our European colleagues. We will eagerly follow the development of our DCs, and hope that they will be the next generation of matrix biologists leading the field in the future.

Registration is open for Genetics Matters 2026

Registration for our annual #GeneticsMatters Rare Disease Day patient and public information day is now open. Join us for interesting presentations and hands-on demonstrations, meet the scientists, and find out more about rare disease research at Newcastle University and The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The event is FREE to attend and refreshments will be provided. To register, click: https://lnkd.in/eSSbGNSD

Merry Christmas from the Skeletal Research Group

We had our joint Briggs, Pirog, Reynard, Rice and Young groups Christmas meal yesterday in the wonderful My Delhi, and celebrated working together and the many dissertation, publication and grant successes of 2025. It has been a really productive year!

We’d like to wish all our friends and collaborators a wonderful festive break. We are looking forward to more exciting science, meetings and outputs next year!

Paper alert!

Our new collaborative paper detailing the role of mir140 in joint development has just been published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. This work was performed by Dr Yao Hao during his PhD candidature in the Skeletal Research group at Newcastle University.

Congratulations Yao!

BSMB Autumn 2025 meeting at the University of Surrey

We’re back from a great meeting at the University of Surrey, organised by Dr Salvatore Santamaria and his team. It was an amazing meeting, with a very inspiring programme full of cutting edge technologies and new discoveries.

Roufaida presented a poster with her recent data on bone phenotype in our SEMDJL2 mice, and had several interesting discussions and suggestions.

The BSMB really is like a one big scientific family. A great society supporting its members and ECRs in a friendly environment. Until the next meeting! Manchester Spring 2026, we can’t wait!

Saying goodbye to João

João has finished his secondment in our lab this week. Over the course of 3 months he characterised the mechanical properties of his osteochondral plug system and investigated the role of oxidative and ER-stress in OA progression. Yesterday we went to Alnwick to see the castle and the famous bookshop and drove back to Newcastle along the scenic coastal route.

It was an absolute pleasure to host João in our lab!

We are looking forward to seeing the analysed data and to catching up with João at the next CHANGE annual meeting in January 2026.