University of Birmingham’s College of Medical and Dental Sciences Hosts Research Festival 2024

Held at the Edgbaston Park Hotel, the MDS Research Festival 2024 served as a platform to showcase the ongoing research being undertaken by postgraduate (PGRs) and early career researchers (ECRs) throughout the college.

The event also celebrated a collaborative team science approach, with special recognition bestowed upon the recipients of the recently launched Team Science Awards led by Prof Rik Bryan at the Bladder Cancer Research Centre and Prof Andrew Filer from Birmingham Tissue Analytics. The Team Science Awards were created to reward and recognise those teams which embody a collaborative ethos, engaging multiple stakeholders to effect substantial change.

The newly appointed Interim Director of Research, Prof Jo Parish, began proceedings and underscored the pivotal role of fostering a nurturing research culture within the college ecosystem. Echoing these sentiments, Head of College Prof Neil Hanley provided further detail on how the college fosters and encourages individuals with career advancement and securing prestigious fellowships.

A focus of the day was on short presentations and posters delivered by PGRs and ECRs. The conversations which occurred during the poster and networking sessions showcased enthusiasm and a high level of engagement with the day’s objectives. It was a pleasure to have over 20 posters to view and over 30 presentations to listen to.

Prizes were awarded to each category:

• Poster prize – Nada Fallatah – “Anti-inflammatory role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)”
• Three minute talk – Malee Nagi – “Bacterial chat: tipping the balance in the oral cavity”
• ECR flash talk – Dr Katherine Eales – “Beyond the Powerhouse: Unlocking the Mitochondria’s Potential to Improve Treatment Resistance in Brain Tumours”.