Explosive beginnings (2018)

Endothelial cells line all blood vessels in the body, forming a barrier between the circulating blood and the vessel wall. They also help to protect blood vessels from damage and release important chemical messengers, which help to control blood pressure.

The winning researcher, Courtney Williams, is a Masters student and PhD candidate at Leeds University. Her lab is developing innovative ways to map the growth of new blood vessels within their surrounding landscape in 3D. Understanding the complex secrets of blood vessel formation could be harnessed to boost the regrowth of damaged blood vessels after a heart attack, and halt blood vessel growth when it's counterproductive.