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Fifth MRC Centre at King's | 2 Profile 2007 | 3 Wolfson Foundation gives £4m | 5 King’s forges new links with India | 7 Defence Minister | 8 First Honorary Degree CommentThe College newsletter Issue no 173 | March 2007 Fifth MRC Centre at King’s GREG FUNNELL KING’S HAS BEEN AWARDED A NEW into clinical practice.’ MRC Centre for Transplantation The Principal, Professor to address some of the ongoing Rick Trainor, comments: problems associated with trans- ‘Transplantation is an important plantation. The Centre will be area of biomedical research at directed by Professor Steven King’s and we have a number of Sacks and brings the total to five world-class research programmes prestigious Medical Research in this field. I would like to Council (MRC) Centres at King’s, congratulate Steven and his more than at any other institution. colleagues on their tremendous achievement in securing a new Medical Research Council More MRC Centres than Centre. We are delighted to be at any other institution collaborating with the MRC on this initiative. It enhances our Some of the key investigators collaborating in the new Centre. From left: Professors Robert ongoing partnership with them Lechler, Ellen Solomon, Steven Sacks, Adrian Hayday and Frank Nestle. The Centre will bring together and means that King’s now has experts in basic biology and ‘For transplantation therapy – King’s College Hospital NHS five prestigious MRC Centres, transplant medicine to focus to achieve greater success, Foundation Trust and Guy’s and all focussed on groundbreaking research on delivering more advance is needed in several St Thomas’ NHS Foundation research aimed at improving rapid and effective methods of directions,’ says the Centre’s Trust. These Trusts run one of human health.’ diagnosis and treatment. The Director, Professor Sacks. ‘We the largest clinical transplant Professor Colin Blakemore, programme of research will need to find alternative sources of programmes in Europe and the Chief Executive of the MRC, apply an extensive knowledge donor tissues and cells that lend largest living kidney and liver says: ‘With more than 6,000 of human immunology, stem cell themselves to therapy for a larger practice in the UK. patients waiting for organs in biology, genomics and imaging number of conditions, such as the UK and with the supply of to develop new areas that will kidney and liver failure, arthritis, organs dwindling, it is crucial benefit human health. The diabetes and tooth decay. Also, ‘Facilitate more rapid that we strive to overcome the Centre will also play a pivotal role we need to find a way of ensuring and effective solutions’ hurdles we face. The MRC in training and education and will that the replacement tissue Centre for Transplantation at work closely with the Centre for is accepted without requiring King’s will use a number of Medical Law and Ethics at King’s lifelong drugs to block the ‘By bringing together at a different interventions in both on the regulation and ethics of immune system.’ single Centre a wide range of the recipient and the donated transplantation research. Other key investigators expertise in basic and clinical tissue to enhance the quality Replacement of diseased collaborating in the new Centre research, we hope to facilitate of transplants and make more organs and cells by healthy tissue include Professors Robert more rapid and effective organs suitable for donation. The has partly been realised through Lechler, Adrian Hayday, Reza solutions to some of the problems MRC is keen to support research progress in transplantation over Razavi, Ellen Solomon, Paul associated with transplantation,’ that aims to bring together the last 50 years. But several Sharpe, Frank Nestle, Genevra Professor Sacks adds. ‘The experts in different disciplines outstanding issues are hindering Richardson and Dr Cosimo De Centre is the first of its kind in and encourages scientists in medical progress in this area. Bari. The translational nature of the UK and possibly Europe, hospitals and laboratories to work These include a shortage of donor the Centre’s research will further and emphasises the continued together to improve healthcare as organs, high rates of mid-term graft enhance the close clinical alliance vision of the MRC for the quickly as possible.’ loss and cumulative drug toxicity. with King’s partner NHS Trusts advancement of medical science continued on page 2 News Principal’s Column King’s applications success JULIAN ANDERSON NARESH VERLANDER will build on the respect and THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPLYING TO goodwill that the College has study undergraduate programmes engendered: its target at King’s has increased by 8 per will far exceed that of the cent – higher than the national previous campaign, which average of 6.4 per cent. In raised £44 million. particular, there has been an It is cheering also that exceptional 50 per cent increase student applications are up in applications to the School of by 8 per cent, and particular Physical Sciences & Engineering. mention should be made of the impressive application increases in Mechanical Strong gains in the Dear Colleagues Engineering (up 108 per cent), home fee market Many of you have attended Film Studies (93 per cent) and the Principal’s Fora which Mathematics (68 per cent). [See I held recently on all our article opposite.] Overall, this represents a rise (5,340); Management Studies campuses. In these, I have The Chairman of Council in applications of 2,346 to 30,115. (3,217); Law (2,934); BSc in attempted to give an overview and I were able to meet a In particularly there have been Biomedical Science (1,552) and of developments within the number of applicants and strong gains in the home fee Pharmacy (1,532). College. In addition, the core alumni during our visit to market (including the EU) with Medicine, Law and Manage- executive body of the College, India in February when we an increase in applications of 10 ment Studies alone account the Principal’s Central Team, visited Delhi and Mumbai and per cent compared to a national for 38 per cent (11,491) of total has agreed to publish a monthly a number of Indian academic fi gure of 6.3 per cent. applications. report on its work in the new institutions. We also hosted Applications to the College are Of the 23 subject areas to College ezine. I hope that both a symposium on terrorism in up 28 per cent on this point on have shown an increase on last of these initiatives help to Delhi at which Professor Mike the previous fi ve years’ average. year, nearly two thirds of the keep the College community Clarke spoke and which was Applications to the School of extra applications can be informed about our strategic attended by a large number Physical Sciences & Engineering accounted for by the following direction, and to take pride in of military top brass and are up by more than any other fi ve subject areas: Management the signifi cant advances that diplomats. School (by 1,077 applications Studies; Mathematics; Biomedical King’s is making in so many The highlight of the trip, to 3,247). Particular increases Science; Mechanical Engineering, respects. I am particularly however, was an audience are in Mechanical Engineering, and Physics. pleased, for instance, that we with the President of India, Mathematics and Physics, up by Applications for Film Studies can now publicly announce that a physicist who was involved 108 per cent, 68 per cent, and are also up considerably this year, the Medical Research Council with India’s space programme, 46 per cent, respectively. This by 93 per cent, rising from 136. Centre for Transplantation is during which we were able compares extremely favourably to ‘I am delighted that King’s to be based at King’s; no fewer to discuss plans for a Chair in the national picture of 9.8 per cent; continues to attract a rapidly than fi ve of the UK’s 21 MRC Space Policy at King’s. 10 per cent; and 12.2 per cent. increasing number of high-calibre Centres are now based at the Whilst I was in India a The fi ve most popular subject students. It is particularly pleasing College. [See cover story.] widespread power cut in central areas account for nearly half to see how well Physical Sciences Recent grants and donations London closed the Strand (14,575) of the 30,115 applications & Engineering are doing,’ across the College acknowledge Campus and affected email and received in the current cycle. comments the Principal, Professor these advances; most notable the web across the College. I These subject areas are: Medicine Rick Trainor. is the £4 million funding from am grateful to those staff who the Wolfson Foundation for a worked into the night to rectify King’s Clinical Neuroscience this unfortunate situation. Institute. [See page 3.] I have With best wishes for the every confi dence that our Easter break. Profi le 2007 new fundraising campaign Rick Trainor Enclosed with this issue of Comment is the new edition of Profi le. Profi le is an annual pocket-size guide to King’s, Fifth MRC Centre at King’s covering the College’s continued from page 1 Lumsden, FRS), the MRC- history, structure and latest The other MRC Centres at Asthma UK Centre in Allergic developments. Profi le is King’s are the Centre for Social Mechanisms of Asthma (Professor available on receptions but if Genetic and Developmental Tak Lee and Professor Tim you would like more copies for Psychiatry (led by Professor Williams of Imperial College events or visitors please contact Peter McGuffi n), the Centre for London) and the Centre for [email protected] Developmental Neurobiology Neurodegenerative Research (led by Professor Andrew (Professor Brian Anderton).
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