• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Royal Society of Edinburgh Conferences, Workshops, Lectures and Discussion Fora Session 2002-2003 Hearing , Deafness and Social Inclusion ........................................................ 2 Funding Opportunities Through The 6th Framework Programme ........... 3 Tissue and Vascular Remodelling .................................................................. 5 GM Gene Flow: Scale and Consequences for Agriculture and the Environment .............................................................................................. 9 What Research Would Benefit The Practice of Primary Dental Care? ......11 Quark and Gluon Physics .............................................................................13 The Future of Retailing: Prospects for Town Centres ................................14 The Cormack Bequest Astronomy Meeting 2003 .....................................19 The Value of the Post-Mortem Examination ..............................................21 Human Rights: Roles and Responsibilities .................................................28 Scotland’s Drug Problem ..............................................................................38 England and Scotland in Union from 1603: Anglo-Scottish Relations - Past, Present and Future ............................................................................40 Infection and the Threat to the Food Chain ..............................................42 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ...........................................................................47 Stem Cell Research: Opportunities and Challenges .................................49 CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND DISCUSSION FORA Conference Hearing , Deafness and Social Inclusion 13 November 2002 On 13 November the Society held Allan, Donaldson’s College for the a one-day conference looking at Deaf, Professor Bamford, Ms the personal, social, educational Lillian Lawson, Scottish Council on and professional consequences of Deafness, Mr David Breen, Public hearing impairments and deaf- Health Medicine Consultant, ness in both adults and children. Dumfries and Galloway Health Speakers included Professor John Board and Mr Andrew McLeod, Bamford, University of Manches- Head of Health Planning and ter, on Epidemiology of hearing Quality Division for the Scottish loss in adults and children; Executive. Professor Quentin Summerfield, More than 80 “deafness” The University of Nottingham, on professionals and Deaf and Deafened Children: the service-providers attended the Impact of Cochlear Implantation; Conference which was organised Ms Heather Fisken, RNID, on The with the help of representatives of Transition from Education to the RNID, Donaldson’s College for the Workplace and Professor Phil Deaf and the MRC Institute of Hanlon and Dr Sheila Beck, Public Hearing Research. Health Institute for Scotland, on The Conference was supported by Hearing Impairment in the Elderly. the William Demant Foundation The event closed with a panel and A & M Hearing Limited. discussion featuring Mrs Janet Conferences, Workshops, Seminars and Discussion Fora Seminar Funding Opportunities Through The 6th Framework Programme 12 December 2002 To support Scotland’s research European Adviser, UKRO, Brussels, and SME sector interests in the Peter Walker, European Funding European Commission 6th Adviser, Innovation Relay Centres Framework Programme (launched Scotland, and Catherine Holt, on 11-13 November 2002) the European Research Funding Society, in partnership with the Officer, Beta Technology Ltd, it United Kingdom Research Office provided an overview of the (UKRO) and the European Com- programme and specifically, mission Office in Scotland, held information on funding opportu- an information seminar and nities through its “Structuring the network reception on funding European Research Area” theme. opportunities through the The event also provided an Framework Programme. The opportunity for participants to seminar was attended by around seek individually focused advice 50 people from across the from the presenters, which a research and SME sectors. It was number of those attending chaired by Elizabeth Holt, Head of sought. And, it served as a the European Commission Office platform for networking between in Scotland, and through presen- individuals and the research and tations by Dr Clair Watts, SME sectors.” 3 2002-2003 Wellcome Research Workshop Event-related potential studies of memory and attention: How does Neuroimaging increase understanding of human cognition? 13 January 2003 The meeting was a great success; about best practice. Questions 35 people from laboratories all asked by the attendees were used over Scotland and England came to stimulate open discussion, for a day of talks and discussions ranging from practical issues about the “state-of-the-art“ about how to “do” our science, scientific investigation of the to theoretical concerns about the electrophysiological basis of analysis and interpretation of our memory and attention . The data. Further, several speakers, attendance list was designed to including junior scientists, be inclusive, and included provided excellent up-to-the- undergraduates, post-graduates, minute reviews of work in the post-doctoral fellows, lecturers field. This really was an excellent and professors, representing learning experience for all some of the most highly regarded concerned, challenging our own laboratories in Britain. In addition, assumptions and hearing a guest speaker was invited from alternative views and approaches the Rotman Research Institute in – things that are difficult to Toronto, Canada, giving the achieve within a single laboratory, meeting an international flavour. but are essential if our science is Feedback from those attending to thrive. indicated that the event was One sign of the success of the considered worthwhile and meeting is that one of the productive – in essence it was an attendees has begun to set up a extremely enjoyable and web-based discussion forum, with educational day. the aim of facilitating on-going A series of presentations were debate and sharing of knowledge made over the course of the day, between laboratories. The interspersed with open discussion meeting has lead to an interesting sessions. Several of the talks and fruitful collaborative research briefly introduced important project with Drs Richard Schillcock methodological and technical and Scott Macdonald at questions that are faced by Edinburgh University. everyone in the field, allowing Organised by Dr David Donaldson, extremely useful airing of views, University of Stirling. sharing of knowledge, and debate 4 Conferences, Workshops, Seminars and Discussion Fora Wellcome ResearchWorkshop Tissue and Vascular Remodelling 24 January 2003 On 24 January 2003, the Royal this would lead to new opportuni- Society of Edinburgh was host to ties for research collaboration and a highly successful workshop greater integration of reproduc- entitled Tissue and Vascular tive research throughout Scotland. Remodelling in the Female Forty participants enjoyed 17 Reproductive Tract. The workshop short talks by experts in specific was funded by the Wellcome Trust areas, as well as three briefings by in collaboration with the Royal international authorities in the Society of Edinburgh and support- field. The first session identified ed by the Munro Kerr Society. current research questions in Tissue remodelling and angiogen- tissues of the female reproductive esis are pivotal cellular processes tract. Dr Richard Anderson from in the female reproductive tract. The MRC Human Reproductive This is a dynamic area of research Sciences Unit described how the particularly within Scotland. The life-span of the ovary was set in disparate groups studying these fetal life and how mcl-1 and processes tend to be organ- and neurotrophins may be key to tissue-specific. It is, however, very oogonial turnover. Dr Norah clear that many of the key ques- Spears from the University of tions, therapeutic targets and Edinburgh demonstrated the cellular processes involved are ovarian remodelling during generic in nature and cross the follicular growth and migration boundaries between tissues and with elegant in vitro models organs. In addition, novel tech- designed for its study. Professor niques utilised by some groups Steve Hillier from the University of have particular relevance to other Edinburgh then provided one of groups and experimental models. the many meeting highlights by The workshop’s aims were to describing his studies on ovarian bring these disparate groups of surface epithelial cells and how researchers from across Scotland their metabolism and inflammato- together to discuss the main ry environment during ovulation issues in their respective areas, may sow the seeds for malignancy. common cellular processes and Dr Colin Duncan from the Univer- novel investigative techniques and sity of Edinburgh demonstrated their development. We felt that how regulation of paracrine cell- 5 2002-2003 cell communication was funda- Andrew Calder from Edinburgh, mental in tissue and vascular who chaired the session, then led remodelling using the corpus a round-table discussion looking luteum paradigm. at key areas where further synthe- The focus them moved from the sis of therapeutic targets and ovary to the uterus. Dr Steve strategies could be obtained. Campbell from the University of The second session focused on Glasgow described the complex generic cellular processes at vascular remodelling during reproductive tissue sites.

Load more

  50

Copy Link