Xhoela Bame one of Forbes 30 Under 30

Congratulations to Dr Xhoela Bame, who has been announced as one of this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 Europe (Science and Healthcare).

Dr Xhoela Bame, a Novo Nordisk Oxford Fellow and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry, has been recognised for her pioneering work in cellular degeneration and repair. Before coming to Oxford, Xhoela completed her PhD at Dartmouth College and held an American Heart Association Fellowship. Her research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the brain by establishing new frameworks to measure the brain's capacity for repair and detect early cellular decay, ultimately aiming to unlock long-unsolved mysteries of neurodegeneration.

Having recently joined Professor Yimon Aye's research group, Xhoela is now translating this expertise to the cardiovascular space. In collaboration with Dr Filipa Simões at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and the Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford, she is driving a highly multidisciplinary project. Using advanced spatial mapping technologies with human stem cells and 3D organoids, she aims to advance regenerative approaches to treat cardiometabolic conditions, including heart failure.

On hearing of her nomination to the Forbes list, Xhoela said: “When you think of Forbes, you rarely picture the quiet grind of discovery science that often never leaves the lab. And that’s why this recognition means so much because it changes this narrative. It puts fundamental discovery at the forefront as one of the most powerful tools we have for transforming healthcare. I am excited by this shift in mentality and look forward to bringing my cross-institutional background to Oxford to discover new regenerative treatments for complex human diseases.”