Colm Nestor (center) gets the Fernström Prize. Photo credit: Thor Balkhed/LiUThe prize ceremony will take place at Lund University in early November. Each of Sweden’s medical faculties designates its own prize winners. This year's prize winner at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at LiU, Colm Nestor, is in the field of epigenetics. Nestor is awarded the prize for his evolution of already used methods within the research field.This summer Nestor and his research group published an article in the scientific journal Nature Methods where they described an error in one of the most widely used methods in epigenetics, DIP-seq, and how it would cause misleading results. The findings also showed that the error can be corrected in previously collected data, which may lead to new discoveries from previous studies of human epigenetics.
– It’s always nice when one’s research gets the attention of the field and it is our hope that our study will enable researchers to make new exciting discoveries in the field of epigenetics, says Colm Nestor.
– Having identified this error and how to fix it, my group is now focusing on how to use more accurate techniques to understand the epigenetics of childhood leukaemia. Although epigenetics is believed to play a major role in the development of many cancers, we still have limited understanding of how this occurs. My group’s over-arching aim is to shed light on how epigenetics contributes to cancer and to identify new treatment strategies targeting cancer epigenetics.
He says that he feels honoured to receive this year’s ‘Lilla Fernströms-priset’
–It is always humbling and inspiring to receive acknowledgment and appreciation from ones colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity to especially thank all the members of my research group for the dedication and enthusiasm they have shown for our research.
How would you define yourself as a researcher?
– I would describe myself as enthusiastic researcher with a particular curiosity for following unexpected results to their conclusion.
What possibilities do you see with LiU's research environments?
– Performing research at LiU has been a pleasure. Its compact size is its greatest strength and allows easy communication and collaboration between research groups in a true collegiate atmosphere. It has been rewarding to contribute to the development of the research community at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKE).
