Italian luxury brand Bvlgari has announced plans to support research into COVID-19 and vaccine development at the University of Oxford. A generous gift from the brand will enable the purchase of boundary-pushing scientific equipment and finance the studies of some of the world’s most talented researchers engaged in the field of vaccine development.
The collaboration was revealed today during a live webinar hosted by Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford, and Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of Bvlgari.
Professor Gilbert said: ‘For us to continue to make world-leading advances against infectious diseases we need more excellent young scientists to join the field of vaccinology, and access to the most up-to-date equipment for our laboratories. This generous gift from Bvlgari addresses both of these needs, and will continue to have an impact for many years to come.’
The Bvlgari Scholarships will financially support two students for the duration of their DPhil studies in vaccine research, covering course fees, the cost of IT support and laboratory consumables, and providing an internationally-competitive maintenance grant. Scholarship awardees will be based at the Oxford Jenner Institute and selected from applicants and offer holders in the Medical Sciences Division, across the relevant disciplines of clinical, medical and biological sciences.
The Oxford Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group have been at the forefront of scientific endeavour to develop vaccines for diseases of major global importance for more than 30 years, and are currently one of the leading research groups globally in the development of a vaccine against COVID-19. Other vaccine technologies in development at the Oxford Jenner Institute include those against pandemic influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, Staphylococcus aureus and prostate cancer, as well as recently emerged pathogens such as MERS, the Ebola virus and Rift Valley fever.
In addition to the scholarship programme, Bvlgari’s donation will also support the purchase of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer at the Oxford Jenner Institute. Flow cytometry is a technique used in emergency vaccine development that can rapidly speed up the process, allowing for a more detailed understanding of cell response post-vaccination. Used to measure the number and type of immune cells made in the body after the vaccine is given, it helps to identify which types of cells may lead to a vaccine being protective and therefore successful.
Bvlgari’s generous donation to the University is the latest step in the brand’s philanthropic commitment to improving the world at large, following the devastating coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.
Jean-Christophe Babin said: ‘Over the past few months, we have witnessed the shocking and detrimental effects of COVID-19 on every aspect of our society throughout the world. We can never let this happen again. Bvlgari vows not only to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, but also to work with the global leaders in medical sciences at Oxford University to nurture the most talented minds of tomorrow. I am honoured and proud to have the opportunity to support Oxford in this common goal of eradicating viruses and stopping future pandemics in their tracks.’
Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: ‘We are deeply grateful to Bvlgari for their generous gift and look forward to working together over the coming years. Donations like this allow us to accelerate critical vaccine development research, which will aid Oxford’s response both to this crisis and to future pandemics.’