A second donor drive to save the life of a 24-year-old student is taking place at the University of East London today.

Lara Casalotti requires a stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia just before Christmas.

Her only brother, Seb, is not a match and her mixed race heritage – her father is Italian and her mother from Thailand – makes finding a compatible donor more difficult

Last week’s donor drive at the university’s Stratford campus, where her father Dr Stefano Casalotti is a lecturer, saw more than 150 students join the bone marrow register.

She is currently undergoing treatment at University College London Hospital.

Dr Casalotti said: “I’m seeing this both as a parent and as a scientist. Doctors and scientists are trying to do their best to cure this disease, but we know that for the next 10 or 20 years, we will still need stem cells or transplants as part of the treatment.

“Unfortunately, I cannot help even though I am on the bone marrow register, and have been for many years. If we were all on the register, then when anybody needed stem cells, a match could be found.

“So please join the register and you could help save a life.”

A second drive is taking place at the university’s Docklands campus and at SportsDock between 10am and 5pm today.