US scientist clinches ERC Advanced Grant
American scientist Juleen R. Zierath is one of the few women to be awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), the EU funding body which seeks to attract leading researchers from around the world to work in Europe. One of the most important goals of the ERC is to foster brilliant ideas beyond the frontiers of knowledge, not only making Europe a research hub for scientists but also encouraging brain circulation. Appointed professor of clinical integrative physiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, Professor Zierath said she found the best environment for her research at the Swedish institute. Brain drain is a worrisome trend for Europeans but the EU is working to reverse it. Thanks to the ERC's support for investigator-driven frontier research, Europe has a chance to advance and maintain its position as a strong research and innovation region. A part of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the ERC offers two core grant schemes: the Starting Grants that support up-and-coming independent research leaders of any nationality, and the Advanced Grants that support exceptional advanced researchers of any nationality. The requirements of the Advanced Grants scheme include having an excellent scientific track record, an outstanding scientific leadership profile and a primary host organisation based in Europe. With these key points in check, Professor Zierath gave a testimonial on the important role the ERC has for researchers and the scientific community at a recent symposium on 'Crossing Boundaries and Opening Borders: The European Research Council as Innovation' in Washington DC, part of the annual conference organised by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 'Nurturing the Best: An American in Stockholm', Professor Zierath also provided insight into the experiences of an American researcher living and working in Europe. 'The ERC is remarkable,' Professor Zierath remarks. 'It focuses on scientific excellence, has very little bureaucracy and gives significant funds to individual scientists. Many Europeans travel to the US to carry out research, but this is an effective magnet for attracting them back to Europe.' Money is not all, however. For her part, Professor Zierath underlines how important it is to work at a quality university renowned for attracting leading researchers. It is also important to note that the Nordic region places particular emphasis on building and sustaining strong ties between basic research and clinical research to ensure medical research success. Despite being away from home and missing some traditions like football and American pizza, Professor Zierath believes she is benefiting from the best of both European and American cultures. She notes she has no plans to leave Stockholm any time soon. 'I have a fantastic research environment that I would find it difficult to leave,' she explains. 'And I like living in Stockholm. It's a cosmopolitan city, but even so I have wild deer and foxes in my garden, a few kilometres outside the city centre.' Professor Zierath's research targets improvement in the health of people suffering from diabetes. She is currently investigating the cellular mechanisms that lead to the development of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. She has already succeeded in uncovering the roles that certain genes play in the physiology of the cell and body.For more information, please visit: European Research Council (ERC): http://erc.europa.eu/ Karolinska Institutet: http://ki.se/?l=en Professor Juleen R. Zierath's homepage, click: here
Countries
Sweden, United States