| 5 HFEA defers decision | 6 Ray Mears’ Wild Food | 10 New Fellowships and Honorary Degrees | 12 Global partners choose King’s | 14 Opera world premiere CommentThe College newsletter Issue no 172 | February 2007 Three wins for King’s KING’S has BEEN SUccEssfUL IN contribution to the nation’s Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. from the clinical research facilities joint bids with its partner NHS international competitiveness. The Centre will bring together on the St Thomas’ and Guy’s Trusts for Department of Health The Comprehensive Centre clinicians and basic scientists, Campuses, which have recently Research Centres of Excellence. will be directed by Professor educators and representation been funded by Tate & Lyle, and The awards were announced in Richard Trembath. Professor from industry to explore the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. December by the Department of Graham Lord will be the opportunities for translation. It The Specialist Centre, to be Health as part of its Best Research Deputy Director with specific will be organised around seven directed by Professor Simon for Best Health initiative. responsibility for training. themes: Allergy and Asthma, Lovestone, will allow the Institute They will work closely Transplantation, Immunology and of Psychiatry to accelerate its with Professor Charles Wolfe, Infection, Atherosclerotic disease, programme of translational The Research Centres Research & Development Dermatology, Oral Health and will be leaders in Director for Guy’s and St Cancer. The Centre will benefit continued on page 2 scientific translation HRH opens flagship research Centre King’s will be collaborating DOMINIC TURNER on a ‘Comprehensive Centre’ with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, on a ‘Specialist Centre’ with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and on a ‘Patient Safety and Quality Research Centre’ in collaboration with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. King’s is the only university to provide academic partnership in the three categories of research centre. Last year the Department of Health invited NHS/academic partnerships to put forward proposals for research centres to drive progress on innovation and translational research in biomedicine and NHS service quality and safety. The Research Centres will be leaders in scientific translation and early adopters of new insights in On 10 January Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, formally opened the £30 million James technologies and treatments for Black Centre at King’s Denmark Hill Campus. Here the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, introduces The Princess Royal to Sir James improving health. These Centres Black, Emeritus Professor of Analytical Pharmacology at King’s, Lady Black, Professors Jack Price and Ajah Shah and Mr Michael Parker (right), Chairman of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. For the full story see page 3. are a key component of the NHS News Three wins for King’s GREG FUNNELL GREG FUNNELL continued from page 1 research so that new discoveries in the area of mental health can yield clinical benefits for patients. The new Centre will provide a strong basis for new ways to investigate, diagnose, treat and support people with mental illnesses and their carers. ‘This is a very proud day for King’s’ Professor Naomi Fulop will direct the Patient Safety and Quality Centre. The Patient Safety and GREG FUNNELL Quality Centre will be directed by Professor Naomi Fulop. Its innovative approach to translating high quality research into improving patient safety and quality will focus on four major programmes: Workforce, Risk, Innovations and Organisational Governance. The Centre will examine, for instance, staff commitment to an organisation From left: Professor Graham Lord, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Centre, Dr Lynn and how that affects quality Carlisle, Deputy Head of Administration and Deputy College Secretary (Health), Professor of patient care. It will focus The Specialist Centre will be directed by Richard Trembath, Director of the Comprehensive Centre, and Professor Frank Nestle, on risk management and Professor Simon Lovestone. Director of the Clinical Research Facility. GREG FUNNELL communications in accident and emergency departments and it will develop organisational King’s joins UK global elite strategies for reducing the risk of In a major new initiative The establishment of the hospital associated infections. announced in December at 10 cluster is seen as an essential Professor Robert Lechler, Vice- Downing Street the Government move if the UK is to compete Principal (Health), said of these launched a ‘Global Medical effectively with other existing awards: ‘I am absolutely delighted Excellence Cluster’. The launch and emerging clusters such as that King’s is the academic was attended by the Principal Boston and Shanghai. Singapore, partner in these Research Centres and Professor Robert Lechler. Dubai, Shanghai and New awarded by the Department of As well as King’s, other members Delhi are all developing similar Health. This represents a major include Imperial College, approaches linking business, step forward for King’s and its UCL, Oxford and Cambridge, healthcare and academia. NHS partners in terms of external NHS partners and leading ‘I am very concerned about the recognition of our excellence pharmaceutical companies. risk from India and China and across a wide range of health Professor Charles Wolfe, R&D Director for This is a unique opportunity competition from America,’ the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. disciplines. Many people were for the UK to bring together its Prime Minister, Tony Blair said. involved in the preparation of tremendous efforts made by my universities, hospitals, and drug ‘The development of science these bids but in particular from a colleagues in producing such and medical device companies and technology is now central to College perspective I would like high quality bids for each of to build a world-class cluster our economic future. If we fail to to thank the three Directors, who these Centres. These successes to take leading positions in make the most of what we have, with their NHS counterparts were also reflect the increasingly medical research, product then we will fall behind.’ instrumental in formulating the close alignment of the College’s development and improved Professor Lechler comments: bids: Professor Richard Trembath, strategies with those of its NHS patient outcomes. It is hoped ‘This is an extremely important Professor Simon Lovestone and counterparts. The award of it will bring improvements initiative for King’s and is the Professor Naomi Fulop.’ these Centres acknowledges at to the quality and delivery of first tangible benefit of recently The Principal, Professor a national level our unparalleled healthcare, benefits to the UK winning Department of Health Rick Trainor, added: ‘This is a translational research portfolio economy and improvements Research Centre status. We plan very proud day for King’s and and will facilitate even greater to the performance of the to participate actively in the its partner NHS Trusts. These opportunities to bring real benefit participating institutions. establishment of this cluster.’ awards are fitting tributes to the to the nation’s health.’ 2 | Comment | February 2007 News HRH opens flagship Centre DOMINIC TURNER ON 10 JANUarY HER ROYal HIGHNEss The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, formally opened the £30 million James Black Centre at King’s Denmark Hill Campus. The new Centre specialises in research in cardiology, neuroscience and sickle cell disease, with a major focus on stem cell research. The Princess Royal was welcomed by Sir Graeme Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, Professor Rick Trainor, Principal, and Baroness Rawlings, Chairman of Council. The Chancellor was then introduced to Nobel Laureate Sir James Black, Emeritus Professor of Analytical Pharmacology at King’s, after whom the Centre has been named, and Professor Anne Greenough, Head of the School of Medicine, and Professor Peter McGuffin, Dean of the Institute of Psychiatry. Dr Manuel Mayr presents his poster on his current research to HRH The Princess Royal. A unique, state-of-the- art facility seeing poster presentations which look in particular at the molecular behavioural neuroscience, neural further outline the groundbreaking mechanisms that determine heart stem cells and the neurobiology research at the Centre. The tour failure and stem cell research into of mental health, exploring the Following a short speech by culminated with the Chancellor atherosclerosis. Work on sickle cellular basis of some of the most the Principal and presentations unveiling a plaque. cell disease and b thallasaemia, devastating neurological and by Professor Ajay Shah and The James Black Centre is a under Professor Swee Lay Thein, psychiatric conditions affecting Professor Jack Price on the main unique, state-of-the-art facility, will explore cellular mechanisms the population.’ areas of work to be undertaken bringing together more than 200 of sickle cell and potential clinical Professor Rick Trainor said: at the Centre, the tour moved scientists researching a number trials for new therapies. ‘This new Centre represents to the new building itself. The of different diseases. The Centre will also enable a tremendous opportunity to Chancellor was shown around the Research into cardiovascular scientists from the Institute bring together clinical and laboratories,