Events

We are delighted to announce our upcoming event with EuroAgeNet, to be held in Liverpool 12-13 February 2025.

We have a diverse programme of activities in plan, including a panel discussion with industry colleagues, presentations and interactive sessions.  We aim to enhance our collective understanding of ageing across various themes with a focus on grant writing and collaboration and activities around our Network partners’ themes, detailed programme to follow.

There are just a few places left, registration closing date has been extended to Monday 13 January 2025.  More details and registration here: https://forms.office.com/e/vwvfpwxws4

The event is free to attend, and we look forward to our members from the UK attending, along with our European colleagues, who are also warmly invited. We will cover the travel costs of delegates, with an overnight stay and conference dinner on the 12^th (we can offer extra nights if travel necessitates this).  We will reimburse standard class rail or economy flights only.  Due to the nature of this event, we cannot offer on-line attendance.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to write to us at ecmage@liverpool.ac.uk

The 2024 UKAN/UKRI Partnering Meeting will be taking place on 3 September in Birmingham. This is a satellite meeting that precedes the BSRA event (that runs 4-6 September in same location) and brings together all of the UKAN networks.

The free event is open to all network members, but we thought may be of particular interest for any ECRs. To support this we are offering a travel bursary application system (set within the registration form) to cover travel and accommodation costs for anyone presenting a poster or any ECRs (see agreed UKAN definition here) having to travel 2+ hours each way. Up to 40 bursaries are available so first come, first served on criteria matches. The event may also be of interest to those who are already attending the BSRA event and wish to arrive earlier for this great networking opportunity.

Here is the link to our website landing page for further information that includes a Draft Programme (that will be kept updated as we progress): Registration Open – UKAN/UKRI Partnering Meeting, BSRA Satellite on 3rd September, Birmingham – BLAST (ukanet.org.uk)

Applications close 2 September 2024 but may close earlier if we reach capacity. Please register now to secure your place. You will find the registration form here: https://forms.office.com/e/s7ax7u81Pt

programme here: https://www.ukanet.org.uk/ecmage/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/UKAN-BSRA-Programme-3-Sept-2024.docx

FAQ

1. Can I apply if I am based outside of the UK?  Unfortunately no, no Overseas Costs are eligible under the terms and conditions of this call.
2. What is the definition of an ECR?   For the purpose of grants eligibility , we will draw on the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC – another UKRI research council) definition of an ECR as someone who is either:

• • within eight years of their PhD award (this is from the time of the PhD ‘viva’ oral test), or equivalent professional training
  • within six years of their first academic appointment (the first full or part time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary function).
  • These periods exclude any career break, for example due to:
    • family care
    • health reasons
    • reasons related to COVID-19 such as home schooling or increased teaching load

We are delighted to confirm details of our joint meeting with the CELLO ageing network.  The meeting will be held at  Space at the Spine | Spaces at the Spine in Liverpool, from 10.00 am (with registration, 10.30 am talks commence) to 3.30 pm on Friday 14 June 2024. The venue is close to the University of Liverpool buildings and a 15-minute walk from Lime Street station, details here: How to find us | Spaces at the Spine.   The conference will comprise talks from CELLO and ECMage members, as well as invited guest speakers, is FREE to attend, and we offer travel bursaries for ECRs and returners (see registration form and Home – ECMage (ukanet.org.uk) for details).   We are also offering the option of on-line attendance to allow everyone to join us, you can indicate your choice when registering.  Programme to follow. Please sign up here:  https://forms.office.com/e/xWY7mJmRZ5

Open until Friday 7th June.

We are delighted to announce our next Joint Networks meeting.  The event will be held on 31 January 2024 with the BLAST ageing network and the lifETIME CDT at the Edgbaston Park Hotel, University of Birmingham.   Registration is open,  please use this link to register.

The Extracellular Matrix Network (ECMage) and the Building Links in Ageing Science and Technology Network (BLAST) Ageing Networks have partnered with the lifETIME CDT – Engineering underpinning medicine (lifetime-cdt.org)  to bring together a multidisciplinary networking conference.  We aim to create an environment where ideas and knowledge can be shared to create, design, and accelerate therapeutic discoveries.  The shared event on 31 January is the middle day of the conference for doctoral students and their partners.

The joint event commences at 10.30 am with registration on Wednesday 31 January and will comprise 10-minute presentations from ageing network members, along with a CDT student talk and two invited keynote talks. We will also facilitate a sandpit discussion focused on equality, diversity, and inclusivity during the afternoon session.  The event will take place at the Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre which is located on the University of Birmingham campus. The venue is two miles from Birmingham City Centre, with direct train routes to the University station. Information about the venue is available here and the Google map link can also be found here.  The lifetime CDT meeting will commence on 30^th January through to the 1^st February.

This joint meeting is free to attend, from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm, Registration is here.  Registration closing date is 8^th December 2023.

Call for abstracts

We invite abstracts for the 10 minute oral presentations (8 min plus 2 min) and posters.  Please forward your abstract (up to 300 words) to ECMage@liverpool.ac.uk  by 24^th November 2023 on topics relevant to any area of extracellular matrix ageing, and indicate which theme your talk might be most aligned to from the following:

‘Mechanisms and Interventions’

‘Advanced Technologies’

‘Computational models’

‘Tissue Engineering and Novel In Vitro Models’

‘Biomaterials’

‘Bioengineering’

‘Chemical Engineering’

Note that in the case of the last three categories, the technology/technique may not yet have been applied to extracellular matrix ageing, but must be applicable to it.

You may also suggest a theme we have not covered.

Please use the the form, with details here  to submit your abstract to ecmage@liverpool.ac.uk

Our satellite event at the Liverpool Meeting of the British Society for Matrix Biology (BSMB) in September was an excellent opportunity for our members to connect, reconnect and enjoy presentations from David Gunn and Marian Guelakis of Unilever and Professor Mike Sherratt of the University of Manchester.  The ‘sandpit’ event with discussions around key aspects of ageing, matrix biology, chronobiology, AI/computational modelling and tissue engineering generated terrific discussion and ideas for collaborative projects and towards applications for our first pump priming awards.

The ECMage Ageing Network came together with the Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA) for a joint meeting in January.  CIMA’s goal is to address the impact of ageing on the musculoskeletal system as  whole and to increase research capacity in this important field of research. Focusing the day on ECM ageing was ideal for bringing both our network and the CIMA together to hear fabulous talks and to brainstorm project ideas during the afternoon sandpit session.

There were presentations ranging from ‘Extracellular vesicle origin, mode of action and efficacy in regenerative orthopaedics’, ‘Engineered 3D-printed vascularised hydrogels for efficient presentation of growth factors’ to ‘Effect of donor age on secretion of extracellular proteins by equine mesenchymal stromal cells’.   The afternoon sandpit session focused everyone on finding gaps in research, and to use these ideas to focus on collaborating on planning projects for our pump priming awards and for other external awards. See the full programme is here:

UKAN and UKRI are co-hosting this important networking meeting where each of the 11 UKAN Networks, UKAgeNet and UK Proteostasis/UK Biofair  will be presenting their progress to date (see Programme below) and vision for working together.  This is also an opportunity for ECRs and Pump-priming awardees to present a poster of their work.

Date: 3^rd September 2024, 9 – 6 pm (Reception 5-6pm)

Venue: Lloyd Suite, Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre, Birmingham B15 2RS (The suite is conveniently located on the UoB campus only 10-15 min walk from the University train station which is a 7 min train journey from Birmingham New Street)

Registration Deadline: Monday 2^nd September 10 AM

Poster Opportunities: Deadline for Poster Title: Tuesday 27^th September 12.00 Midday – please submit as part of registration or email: admin@ukan.org.uk

Travel & Accommodation:  delegates to organise their travel and accommodation.  Up to 40 travel/accommodation bursaries available (£200/person maximum) will be awarded to Poster presenters and ECRs travelling from a long distance (applicants must apply at registration).

Spaces – 90,  first come first serve

Any questions please contact: admin@UKANet.org.uk