Richard Oreffo

Richard Oreffo OBE FMedSci FRSB
Alma mater	University of Oxford University of Liverpool
Awards	Maxime Hanns Award (2001); Medical Technology Awards Grand Prix (2010); Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (2015); Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research (2019)
Scientific career
Institutions	University of Southampton Zeneca University of Oxford University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Thesis	Vitamin A and bone (1986)

Richard Okagbue Chude Oreffo is a British–Nigerian physician and Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the University of Southampton. His research considers skeletal biology and the fundamental mechanisms that underpin skeletal stem cell differentiation. In 2020, he launched the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, which supports Black British students in their university studies.^[citation needed]

Early life and education

Oreffo is a British–Nigerian.[1] As an undergraduate student Oreffo specialised in biochemistry at the University of Liverpool.[2] Oreffo completed doctoral research at the University of Oxford, where he investigated Vitamin A and bone.[3] Oreffo was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Here he worked with Gregory Mundy, an expert in bone and mineral research.[4] He returned to the United Kingdom in 1989, where he joined Zeneca as a principal research scientist. In 1993 Oreffo was awarded a Medical Research Council fellowship, and joined the University of Oxford.[2]

Research and career

In 1999, Oreffo joined the University of Southampton, where he led the Bone and Joint Research Group.[5] He was made Professor in 2004.[2] Oreffo specialises in skeletal biology, with a focus on the mechanisms that underpin differentiation of skeletal stem cells and bone regeneration.[2][6] His early work looked to create new, nanostructured surfaces capable of efficiently growing adult stem cells.[7] In 2004 he founded the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration.[8]

Oreffo combined stem cells and degradable plastic to create an artificial bone, which incorporated a honeycomb-like scaffold to allow blood to flow through it.[9] The flow of blood encourages a patient's own stem cells to attach to the artificial structure, which results in the growth of new bone. Eventually, the plastic degrades, and the structure is replaced by newly formed bone.[9][10] The degradable plastic is a blend of three different materials.[10]

After successfully realising artificial bone, Oreffo created the spinout company Renovos, who fabricate new materials for tissue repair.[11] In early 2020 the non-profit Orthopaedic Research UK made an investment in Renovos, representing their first investment in a technology startup.[12]

Awards and honours

• 2001 Maxime Hanns Award[13]
• 2010 Medical Technology Awards Grand Prix[14]
• 2015 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology[2]
• 2019 Elected Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research[2]

Academic service

In 2008, Oreffo was made the University of Southampton Associate Dean International and Enterprise.[13] In 2015 Oreffo returned to the University of Oxford, where he completed a Doctor of Science in skeletal tissue engineering.[2] Oreffo established the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation in 2020, a scheme which looks to provide financial support to 100 disadvantaged Black British students to attend universities in the United Kingdom between 2021 and 2031.[1][15]

Selected publications

• Dalby, Matthew J.; Gadegaard, Nikolaj; Tare, Rahul; Andar, Abhay; Riehle, Mathis O.; Herzyk, Pawel; Wilkinson, Chris D. W.; Oreffo, Richard O. C. (2007). "The control of human mesenchymal cell differentiation using nanoscale symmetry and disorder". Nature Materials. 6 (12): 997–1003. Bibcode:2007NatMa...6..997D. doi:10.1038/nmat2013. ISSN 1476-4660. PMID 17891143.
• Rose, Felicity R.A.J.; Oreffo, Richard O.C. (2002). "Bone Tissue Engineering: Hope vs Hype". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 292 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1006/bbrc.2002.6519. PMID 11890663.
• McMurray, Rebecca J.; Gadegaard, Nikolaj; Tsimbouri, P. Monica; Burgess, Karl V.; McNamara, Laura E.; Tare, Rahul; Murawski, Kate; Kingham, Emmajayne; Oreffo, Richard O. C.; Dalby, Matthew J. (2011). "Nanoscale surfaces for the long-term maintenance of mesenchymal stem cell phenotype and multipotency". Nature Materials. 10 (8): 637–644. Bibcode:2011NatMa..10..637M. doi:10.1038/nmat3058. ISSN 1476-4660. PMID 21765399.
• Roach, Helmtrud I.; Bronner, Felix; Oreffo, Richard O. C., eds. (2011). Epigenetic Aspects of Chronic Diseases. London: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-1-84882-643-4.

References

1. Oreffo, Professor Richard (28 July 2020). "New Foundation fundraising to give disadvantaged Black British students a boost into top universities". FE News. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
2. "Professor Richard Oreffo | Computationally Intensive Imaging | University of Southampton". www.southampton.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
3. Oreffo, Richard O. C; University of Oxford (1986). Vitamin A and bone. University of Oxford. OCLC 499843758.
4. "Gregory Robert Mundy 1942-2010". Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 25 (5): 931–933. 2010. doi:10.1002/jbmr.109. S2CID 221830849.
5. "Spotlight on the shortlist: Richard Oreffo's lab, University of Southampton (UK)". RegMedNet. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
6. "Professor Richard Oreffo | Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration | University of Southampton". www.southampton.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
7. "Scientists find 'better way' to grow adult stem cells". BBC News. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
8. Oreffo, Richard OC (1 September 2014). "Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration". Regenerative Medicine. 9 (5): 563–567. doi:10.2217/rme.14.48. ISSN 1746-0751. PMID 25372074.
9. "Artificial bones developed in Hampshire to heal broken limbs". Daily Echo. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
10. Ford, Jason (8 February 2013). "Stem cells and plastics combined to heal bones". The Engineer. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
11. "About Us". Renovos. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
12. "Renovos announced as first startup to secure investment from UK orthopaedic research charity". Future Worlds. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
13. "8th International Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Stem Cells and Cell Therapies · Plenary Speakers". Retrieved 24 October 2020.
14. "National engineering competition | Medicine | University of Southampton". www.southampton.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
15. "Scholarships for disadvantaged Black students". The University of Edinburgh. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.