{"id":2893,"date":"2026-07-31T16:07:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/?p=2893"},"modified":"2026-07-31T16:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:07:33","slug":"well-done-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/2026\/07\/31\/well-done-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Well done everyone!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At the end of July we are usually asked by our Theme lead to submit our activities and achievements over the past 12 months. A lot has happened in the Pirog lab in 2025\/26. We had excellent MRes and BSc students this year, we generated great outputs, travelled to several conferences, won a few funding awards, and organised a fun events. None of this would be possible without a great team!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the Pirog lab outputs for 2025\/2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hao Y, Lin H, Soul J, Overman LM, Lisgo SN, Coxhead J,&nbsp; <strong>Pirog KA<\/strong>,&nbsp; Clark IM, Barter MJ,&nbsp; Reynard LN, Young DA. Transcriptomic profiling confirms microRNA-140 is more functional in cartilage development than osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joca.2025.11.005\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joca.2025.11.005<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conference proceedings:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bouchenafa R, de Sousa Brito F<\/strong>, Gioia R, Forlino A, <strong>Pirog KA<\/strong>. p.Pro148Leu KIF22 mutation affects bone structure and properties in a knock-in mouse model of SEMDJL2. In: Santamaria S. BSMB Autumn Meeting Abstracts: Uncovering the Matrisome-Advances and Trends in Matrix Research, September 2\u20133, 2025, University of Surrey, UK. Journal of Histochemistry &amp; Cytochemistry. 2026;74(4):477-492, doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1369\/00221554261448876\">10.1369\/00221554261448876<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Erdas C<\/strong>, Gouveia R, Connon C, <strong>Pirog K<\/strong>. Growth factor priming differentially regulates ECM remodelling and myofibroblast transition in corneal stromal cells. In: Dyer D. BSMB Spring Meeting Abstracts: ECM Biology Across Tissue Sites\u2014Location, Location, Location, April 13\u201314, 2026, University of Manchester, UK. Journal of Histochemistry &amp; Cytochemistry. 2026;74(4):493-514. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1369\/00221554261448877\">10.1369\/00221554261448877<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conference presentations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>02-03\/09 BSMB Autumn meeting, Surrey \u2013 <strong>R Bouchenafa<\/strong> (poster)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>13-14\/04 BSMB Spring meeting, Manchester, <strong>C Erdas<\/strong> (poster)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>21-24\/04 TERMIS Europe meeting, Palma Mallorca, <strong>C Erdas<\/strong> (poster and session chair)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>22\/06 NC3Rs NAMs network meeting, London, <strong>K Pirog<\/strong> (invited speaker)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29\/06-04\/07 Matrix Biology Europe (MBE), Oulu Finland, <strong>C Erdas<\/strong> (selected talk), <strong>R Bouchenafa<\/strong> (poster), <strong>M Lazari<\/strong> (poster)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Funding:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2026-2029 EPSRC \u201cPRISM: Piezo-Regulated Immunomodulatory Smart Matrix\u201d (<strong>K Pirog<\/strong> as co-I and WP lead)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2026-2027 JGW Patterson Foundation \u201cOptimising nanoparticle delivery system for therapeutic gene silencing in the arthritic joint\u201d (<strong>K Pirog<\/strong> as lead)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2026 NC3Rs\/BBSRC Business Interaction Voucher \u201cNovel bioprinting technologies for engineering of compressible zonally stratified cartilage tissue for study of therapeutic interventions\u201d (<strong>K Pirog<\/strong> as lead)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2026 <strong>C Erdas<\/strong> BSMB Presenter Bursary to attend MBE meeting in Oulu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2026 <strong>M Lazari<\/strong> and <strong>R Bouchenafa<\/strong> Doctoral College award to attend MBE meeting in Oulu<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Engagement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>02\/03 K Pirog organised and coordinated the 10<sup>th<\/sup> edition of \u201cGenetics Matters-Rare Disease Day\u201d PPIE event at the Great North Museum Hancock,  <strong>C Erdas<\/strong> and <strong>M Lazari <\/strong>presented their projects, 100+ attendees (local schools, general public, patients and patient organisations) and presenters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>17\/11<strong> K Pirog<\/strong> presented a seminar entitled \u201cDrug repurposing for rare diseases\u201d for the Explore Lifelong Learning public group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>June 2026 <strong>K Pirog<\/strong> coordinated&nbsp; genetics seminar series for the Explore Lifelong Learning public group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16\/06 <strong>K Pirog<\/strong> presented a seminar entitled \u201cDeciphering the molecular mechanisms of osteoarthritis\u201d for the Explore Lifelong Learning public group<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/files\/2025\/07\/360_F_108848216_xDD3H6mIBxMueyBoMEQS9ThKHeTalBaY.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"987\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/files\/2025\/07\/360_F_108848216_xDD3H6mIBxMueyBoMEQS9ThKHeTalBaY.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/files\/2025\/07\/360_F_108848216_xDD3H6mIBxMueyBoMEQS9ThKHeTalBaY.jpg 987w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/files\/2025\/07\/360_F_108848216_xDD3H6mIBxMueyBoMEQS9ThKHeTalBaY-300x109.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/files\/2025\/07\/360_F_108848216_xDD3H6mIBxMueyBoMEQS9ThKHeTalBaY-768x280.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Well done everyone, and thank you for all your hard work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Here\u2019s to another amazing year ahead!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of July we are usually asked by our Theme lead to submit our activities and achievements over the past 12 months. A lot has happened in the Pirog lab in 2025\/26. We had excellent MRes and BSc students this year, we generated great outputs, travelled to several conferences, won a few funding &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/2026\/07\/31\/well-done-everyone\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Well done everyone!<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4483,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musculoskeletal-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4483"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2893"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2895,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2893\/revisions\/2895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/piroglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}