Another grant success!

Congratulations to our DPhil Researcher Hussam Rostom! He has been awarded a Bioscientifica Trust Grant worth £5,000. This is for a study entitled: ‘Investigating anabolic effects of thyroid hormones on mammary lipid synthesis for lactation’.

Thyroid hormones are produced by the thyroid gland, and influence the metabolism of cells all over the body. Thyroid hormones are known to be important for production of breast milk, which is impaired in the settings of both underactive and overactive thyroid glands.

Fats are an important component of breast milk, and thyroid hormones influence milk fats in rodents. This project will investigate the effects of thyroid hormones are on human cells, and how they exert these effects. This will allow us to understand the mechanisms underlying problems with breastfeeding in some women - both those with thyroid problems, and in women without clinical thyroid problems but with variations in thyroid hormone levels.

Dr Hussam Rostom (DPhil student)

Hussam’s data showing that triiodothyronine (T3), a thyroid hormone, affects oxygen levels in human mammary cells.