Dr. Sunil Laxman, Assistant Investigator at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, has been selected as one of nine life scientists to join the European Molecular Biology Organization’s Global Investigator Programme. We, along with EMBO team, congratulate the nine life scientists across the globe on their selection as EMBO Global Investigators. They form the second cohort of the Global Investigator Network that was launched in 2019 and will start their four-year tenure in January 2021. The new Global Investigators will receive financial support for several networking, collaboration, and training activities.

As one of the accomplished investigators recognized by the EMBO, Sunil’s research focuses on organizational principles of metabolic information flow controlling cell states. Dr. Laxman is a member of the faculty at the Regulation of Cell Fate (RCF) theme, inStem since 2014. His laboratory studies how cells sense nutrients and how the metabolic state of a cell can regulate distinct cell fates. Their research seeks to identify key metabolites and their sensors, and map signaling mechanisms through which they regulate cell fates—with particular interest in how cells sense and respond to amino acids. Read more about his laboratory’s work here.

Prof. Apurva Sarin, Director of inStem, congratulated Dr. Laxman, “We are delighted by Sunil Laxman’s selection to the EMBO programme and the recognition of his laboratory’s work. Our very best wishes to Sunil and his group for continued success and growth of the lab’s programme.”

“We are pleased to welcome these outstanding scientists who will become an integral part of the EMBO community,” says EMBO Director Maria Leptin. “We are convinced that they will make major contributions to the life sciences in their regions, start forming local networks of young group leaders, and foster interactions with researchers in Europe.”

About the EMBO Global Investigator Network

The EMBO Global Investigator Network supports life scientists who are within their first six years as group leaders in an EMBC Associate Member State (currently India and Singapore), or in a country or territory covered by a cooperation agreement with EMBC (currently Chile and Taiwan), and have an excellent scientific track record. Benefits of the programme include funding for visits to other institutions to give lectures, plan and continue collaborations or carry out experiments, to attend or organise scientific meetings and to cover childcare costs when attending conferences. The programme provides opportunities to interact with other scientists in the same region and in Europe—in particular EMBO Young Investigators and Installation Grantees—and to receive training in research leadership and management skills. The EMBO Global Investigators selected this year carry out their research in each of the four participating countries or territories. The programme received 59 eligible applications, with a success rate of 15%.

About EMBO

EMBO is an organization of more than 1800 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a research environment where scientists can achieve their best work.

EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe. For more information visit www.embo.org.

Read more here.