Top honours at the Guardian University Awards Published on: 17 March 2016 Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s IVF technique to protect future generations from the risk of mitochondrial disease has received a Research Impact Award by The Guardian. Held in Central London, the Guardian University Awards 2016 recognised the pioneering work led by Professors Doug Turnbull, Mary Herbert and Alison Murdoch. The IVF technique offers hope to families who risk passing mitochondrial diseases down the female family line. Nicola Parker and Doug Turnbull, Professor of Neurology and a consultant at Â鶹´«Ã½ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Â鶹´«Ã½ Mitochondrial diseases Each year, around one in 6,500 children are born with severe mitochondrial diseases. The technique developed by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Â鶹´«Ã½ is known as ‘mitochondrial donation’. It involves removing faulty mitochondria inherited from the mother and replacing them with the healthy mitochondria of another woman. The nuclear DNA, containing 99.9% of genetic material from the mother and father, remains unchanged. Last year, the UK became the first country to approve laws to allow the use of the ground-breaking IVF-based technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases. University recognition The Research Impact wasn’t the only category featuring the University. A project inspired by the childhood game Kerplunk which is being used to slow the flow of water after heavy rainfall was runner up in the Social and Community Impact category, while Â鶹´«Ã½ Business School's Global Experience Opportunities programme (GEO) was runner up in the Employability category. The awards, running for its fourth year, recognise excellence in Britain’s best universities and set the benchmark for higher education excellence. This year’s ceremony was introduced by Judy Friedberg, Guardian universities editor, and hosted by Paul Sinha. Judy Friedberg said: “University professionals around the UK have been collaborating and innovating to change lives on their own campuses, in their regions, and around the world. We’re delighted to be able to recognise their vision and their hard work.” . Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Â鶹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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