Medical Sciences Lecture Series
Upcoming lectures
16 April 2024
Adapting to life in the liver: An immune cell perspective
Dr Laura Pallett
14 May 2024
FMS Lecture with Prof. John Hurst and Dr Luke Hale
Bookings open soon
11 June 2024
FMS Lecture with Prof. Hugh Montgomery
Bookings open soon
Catch up with recent events
Women in Medicine and the Gender Pay Gap
Women have worked in medicine for over 100 years, but are still under-represented at the top of the profession. This is a reflection of the place women play in society. Women have struggled to reach equality of both status and pay. Work commissioned by the Dept. Health and Social Care in England and published in 2020 has defined what is now well-known as the Gender Pay Gap. The gap in medicine is large for a single professional group. To mark International Womens Day 2024 (Friday 8 March), Prof. Dame Jane Dacre explores gender pay inequality in the medical field and highlights strategies that could help address pay disparities.
Injury and brain cancer, two sides of the same coin?
Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumour in adults. Though current treatments extend survival they are not curative. It is well-known that tumours arise from cells that acquire mutations and begin to divide uncontrollably. However, recent studies unexpectedly revealed that even normal tissues contain many mutations. A key question is how these mutations can remain silent and what activates them when tumours do form. Prof. Simona Parrinello discusses how brain injury shapes all stages of glioblastoma development and how unravelling this complex and bidirectional interaction is beginning to uncover new avenues for intervention.
Painless restoration of children's teeth
In the UK, 24% of five-year-old children have caries affecting three to four of their teeth but less than 10% are filled. Previously, teeth were restored with silver mercury amalgam fillings but in 2018 their use for children was banned due to the toxic environmental effects. The alternative materials used to fill adult teeth are time-consuming to place, making them highly unsuitable for young children. To address this issue, we have developed SMART composites that can be painlessly placed in <5 instead of 30 minutes. Prof. Anne Young and Prof. Paul Ashley (UCL Eastman Dental Institute) discuss the journey to getting these new materials into clinical trials.
Virtual Reality in Healthcare – sensorimotor interventions
For over 20 years, there has been a growing interest and activity to explore the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and robots in rehabilitation and clinical (surgical) training. Today, VR technology is applied to advanced fields of medicine, engineering, education, design, training, and entertainment. VR uses computer interfaces to give immersive 3D visual experiences. Prof. Rui Loureiro examines new ways of using VR and Robots through a gamification paradigm for clinical training. He demonstrates how strategies to 'trick' the brain can have a positive impact on the recovery of cognitive and physical injuries and in reducing pain.
Type one diabetes - exciting new developments in treatment and prevention
Type one diabetes is an autoimmune condition which results in absolute lack of insulin. Treatment has focused for many years on the replacement of insulin but we are entering an exciting new era where there is a real possibility of prevention. Dr Miranda Rosenthal, Consultant (Diabetes) at the Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, covers these new developments and the new treatment options for those living with T1D.
Are biologic drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis harmful in pregnancy?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 1% of people worldwide. It is more common in women and often requires biologic drugs to control symptoms and prevent joint damage. Many women under treatment become pregnant, and there is uncertainty if biologic drugs should be continued. Treatment of RA in pregnancy is important because active arthritis may increase risk of adverse outcomes and is more likely if biologic drugs are stopped. Prof. Ian Giles discusses whether stopping biologic drugs in pregnancy has harmful effects.
Past events
2022/23 Lecture Series
- Dr Anastasia Kalea - How can we end weight stigma in healthcare?
- Prof. Sam Janes - Making inroads into the early diagnosis of lung cancer
- Prof. Hara Trouli - What is Performing Arts Medicine and why are artists' health needs so important?
- Prof. Rob Heyderman - Defeating Pneumonia and Meningitis with Vaccines
- Dr Mariam Jamal-Hanjani - Harnessing lung cancer evolution for clinical benefit
- Dr Adesh Sudaresan, Dr Harry Kennard, Dr Manraj Phull - Room 1 for Dr Climate - the clinic we can’t afford to miss
- Dr Mariana Diniz - Can local T cell immunity contribute to protection against SARS-CoV-2?
- Prof. Keith Gomez - World Thrombosis Day | Understanding why some people get blood clots
2021/22 Lecture Series
- Dr Claire Roddie - Can We Use the Immune System to Fight Cancer?
- Prof Greg Towers - SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: What have we learned and what’s next?
- Dr Pail Craddock - From Lamb’s Blood to Pig Hearts: A New Renaissance in Transplant Surgery
- Prof Wenhui Song - Can We Grow Artificial Tissues and Organs in the Lab?
- Dr Deepak Kalaskar - Could 3D Printing Revolutionise Our Healthcare?
- Dr Susan Parekh - Why is Dental Health so Important for Children?
- Prof Kurinchi Gurusamy - What is Evidence-based Medicine and Why Does It Matter?
2020/2021 Lecture Series
- Prof Emma Morris - Gene & Stem Cell Therapies: Correcting Nature's Spelling Mistakes
- Prof Tim McHugh - Antimicrobial Resistance: The Pandemic That Is Forgotten But Not Gone
- Prof Gavin Jell - Nanomedicine: Form Cancer to COVID-19
- Prof Jayant Vaidya - 'One-Shot' Radiotherapy Safer And As Effective For Treating Breast Cancer As Longer Course
- Prof Thumbi Ndung'u - Should We Still Care About HIV?