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July 3, 2020
Oxford University and Bvlgari announce collaboration to fight COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Oxford, July 3, 2020 — Bvlgari, the Italian luxury brand, has announced plans to support research into COVID-19 and vaccine development at Oxford University.
The new relationship comes as part of the brand’s commitment to preventing pandemics now and in the future, through philanthropic donations. This gift will support Oxford research in two key areas; purchasing boundary-pushing scientific equipment that will help to speed up vaccine development and financing the studies of some of the world’s most talented researchers engaged in the field.
Oxford and Bvlgary announced the collaboration during a live webinar hosted by Jean-Christophe Babin, President, and CEO of Bvlgari and Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford.
Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said: “For us to continue to make world-leading advances against infectious diseases, we need more excellent young scientists to join us and access the most up to date equipment in our laboratories. This generous gift from Bvlgari addresses these needs, and will continue to have an impact for many years.”
The Bvlgari Scholarship will financially support two students at the postgraduate level within the vaccine development group, the Oxford Jenner Institute. It would enable the University to continue to attract the next generation of top talent to power Oxford’s world-leading position in vaccine research.
The Oxford Vaccine Group and Oxford Jenner Institute have been at the forefront of scientific endeavor to develop vaccines for diseases of primary global importance for more than 30 years. They are currently one of the leading research groups globally in the development of a vaccine against COVID-19.
The Bvlgari Scholarship Beneficiaries will receive full financial support over the four-year duration of their DPhil (Ph.D.) studies in vaccine research. The scholarships will cover the students’ course fees, IT support laboratory consumables, and an internationally competitive maintenance grant. The scholarship awardees will be based at the Oxford Jenner Institute and selected from applicants and offer holders in the Medical Sciences Division at Oxford, across the relevant disciplines of Clinical, Medical and Biological Sciences.
The candidate selection process for the Bvlgari Scholarship would begin as early as autumn 2020.
In addition to the scholarship program, Bvlgari’s donation will also contribute to the purchase of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer by the Oxford Jenner Institute. Flow cytometry is a crucial tool in emergency vaccine development that can rapidly speed up the process, allowing a more detailed understanding of cell response post-vaccination.
Used to measure the number and type of immune cells made in the body after the administration of the vaccine, it helps identify which types of cells may lead to a vaccine being protective and, therefore, successful. Single-cell sorting is a critical component of many sophisticated analysis pathways for both pre-clinical and clinical studies. It allows scientists to separate particular groups of cells of specific interest.
Bvlgari’s generous donation to the University is the latest step in the brand’s philanthropic commitment to improving the world at large, following the devastating coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, which plunged the world into an international pandemic.
Jean-Christophe Babin, President, and CEO of Bvlgari, said: “Over the past few months, we have witnessed the shocking and detrimental effects of COVID-19 on every aspect of our society. We can never let this happen again. Bvlgari vows not only to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 but also to work with the global leaders in Medical Sciences at Oxford University, to nurture the most talented minds of tomorrow. I am honored and proud to have the opportunity to support Oxford in this common goal of eradicating viruses and stopping future pandemics in their tracks.”
Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “We are deeply grateful to Bvlgari for their generous gift and look forward to working together over the coming years. Donations like this allow us to accelerate critical vaccine development research, which will aid Oxford’s response to this crisis and future pandemics.”
Source: University of Oxford
|GlobalGiants.Com|
— The editor is a holder of an Oxford Alumni Card.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:10 AM | Link to this Post
