|  |  |  | | | | SOUTH LONDON SCIENTIST WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD | | | | |
| |  Dr Emma Morris
Release Date: 28th May 2002
Dr Emma Morris, a young haematologist from Streatham in South London, has won a prestigious senior research award from the Leukaemia Research Fund (LRF). The LRF Senior Bennett Fellowship will enable her to carry out pioneering research into bone marrow transplantation (BMT).
The thirty-four year-old haematologist will work alongside experts from Imperial College London & Hammersmith Hospital, and University College London Hospital (UCLH). "I am delighted that LRF has given me the opportunity to push forward with my research and work alongside some of the UK's leading bone marrow transplant and immunology experts," she says.
"This award will also allow me to continue treating patients whilst giving me time to carry out research that will directly benefit my patients," she adds.
LRF has today announced that it is committing £590,000 to the research programme to be carried out by Dr Morris. The LRF fellowship is named after John Hughes Bennett - who was the first person to identify the blood cancer leukaemia in 1845.
Dr Morris will be investigating ways to prevent BMT patients from developing a complication called graft-versus host disease (GvHD). GvHD occurs when the immune cells from the donor recognise the cells of the patient as foreign and attack them. This can be very serious, affecting the liver and gut, and may even be life-threatening.
There is however a beneficial aspect to GvHD as the donors immune cells can also destroy the small number of leukaemia cells that may have survived chemotherapy (known as graft versus leukaemia effect). Dr Morris is looking to find a way to prime the donors cells so they will recognise the leukaemia cells but not destroy the patients healthy cells - making transplants safer and more effective.
Scientific Director of Leukaemia Research Fund, Dr David Grant, commented: "Thousands of patients with leukaemia and other forms of blood cancer need a bone marrow transplant each year. For many, a transplant is their only hope of survival.
"Despite improvements, sadly many people still die after a transplant because of infections, or because of problems that occur if the patient's body rejects the donor's cells.
"Research like this will help us to move towards one of our objectives - an even higher success rate for bone marrow transplants."
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