News & updates

This is our news section: here, we’ll share what’s happening in and around the lab! From team outings and celebrations to exciting research talks, conference presentations, and new publications, this is the place to stay updated. We’ll also highlight the arrival of new members, bid farewell to those moving on to new adventures, and showcase the achievements and milestones of our team. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to Ahmed on his publication!

News published: 23 October 2025

We are beyond excited to celebrate Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaki for publishing his latest groundbreaking research in Nature Biotechnology: “Live imaging of late-stage preimplantation human embryos reveals de novo mitotic errors”!

Ahmed’s work provides fascinating new insights into early human development, using advanced light-sheet microscopy to reveal mitotic errors in human embryos arise much later than anticipated.

The paper has attracted remarkable international attention, with features in BBC News, New Scientist, Medical Xpress, EurekAlert!, Bioengineer.org, and more. These stories highlight how Ahmed’s work is sparking important conversations. Here’s a selection of recent coverage:

In addition, our own lab shared the news on social media — see our post on Bluesky.

Please join us in congratulating Ahmed on this incredible achievement!

Lab retreat 2025

News published: 16 September 2025

On 15th of September, we held our lab retreat at the Eddington Postdoc Centre for the first time in a while! We kicked things off with icebreaker games to get to know each other better, followed by workshops on media training and lab finances.

The day wrapped up with a fun Lab Olympics, and we celebrated our retreat winners who worked together to claim victory. It was wonderful to see such engagement and collaboration across the lab—a true reflection of the amazing team spirit we share.

Celebrating Oliver’s PhD Viva!

News published: 5 June 2025

Big congratulations to Oliver, who completed their PhD viva on 4th June! We are so proud of all the hard work and dedication that led to this achievement.

Oliver presents a poster at STEM for Britain 2025 in Parliament

On Tuesday 11th March 2025, Oliver had the exciting opportunity to present a research poster at the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee’s STEM for Britain 2025 event, held at the Houses of Parliament. This annual competition celebrates the outstanding work of early-career researchers across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Oliver’s participation highlighted the importance of innovative research and provided a valuable platform to engage with MPs, policymakers, and fellow scientists from across the UK. It was a proud moment to see our work showcased at such a high-profile national event!

Lab outing – Escape room!

This past October, we all dove into an escape room adventure—a fun and challenging way to put our teamwork to the test! It was an awesome opportunity to strengthen our collaboration, problem-solving skills, and, of course, share some laughs along the way.

Lab outing – Fitzwilliam Museum

Now that the rain has started in Cambridge, we took the perfect opportunity to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum. Wandering through incredible art and history, we had a great time exploring, sharing thoughts, and maybe even discovering some hidden artistic talents among us!

Farewell/welcome lunch

A public dialogue on early human embryo research

This Saturday 15th of June 2023, our group participated in a public dialogue on early human embryo research. We delivered online webinars discussing the current knowledge in the field and contributed to in-person workshops in London. We engaged with members of the public, answered their questions, discussed the ethical and scientific considerations of extending the 14-day limit of human embryo culture, and helped gauge public views on this topic.

Fun outing – Punting in Cambridge

Our team had a fantastic day punting in Cambridge! It was a great way to relax, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and spend time together outside of the usual routine.