BATLAA e-Newsletter
March 2016

 

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Welcome to the latest edition of the BATLAA e-Newsletter. Spring is nearly here and this is time for new beginnings. As President, I review the e-Newsletter but I am not sure my opinion on this publication is what counts. The Alumni team try to put together a range of materials that will interest you, but does it inspire you to want to become engaged with BATLAA?

Two items this issue might be seen to be two different sides of the argument. Professor Allyson Pollock and colleagues at QMUL say the government "should ensure the safety and effectiveness of school sports" and call for injury surveillance and prevention programmes to be established to help reduce injury rates. Then in April, BATLAA is sponsoring a BATLAA-BLSA Captains and Presidents' Dinner which is certain to include rugby enthusiasts. 

Do you want to have your say on this subject?

We would like more Alumni news but how can we persuade you to let us have that news? I would certainly like to hear more from Alumni who have not returned to their alma mater or even contacted us for many years. Email makes sending a few lines about yourself very easy. Who knows such a contact might spark replies from contemporaries and encourage a reunion which the Alumni team would be delighted to help you organise (there is an encouraging list in this e-Newsletter!).

Let 2016 be the year you engage with fellow alumni and your organisation, Barts and The London Alumni Association.

Paul S Wright
BATLAA President
(q BDS, The London, 1969)

School News

£1.2m grant awarded for research into mycarditis
The William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) has been awarded £1.2m funding by the British Heart Foundation for vital research to prevent cause of sudden death in young adults. The charity has awarded the grants as part of the appointment of Professor Federica Marelli-Berg from the WHRI, as BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Science. 

QMUL ranked among top 50 universities in Europe
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has been ranked among the top 50 universities in Europe, according to a new ranking of elite institutions across the continent compiled by the Times Higher Education (THE). The ranking places QMUL in 41st position - one of the 17 UK universities in the top 50.

Alumni news

Researchers receive awards for clinical trials
Two medical researchers received awards by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to recognise their significant contribution to commercial research in the NHS. Professor of Hepatology and alumnus Graham Foster (q The London, 1983), from the Blizard Institute, was awarded Leading Commercial Principal Investigator. Staff member Dr Michele Bombardieri, from the William Harvey Research Institute, received the NIHR Principal Investigator award.

Alumnus sets up collaboration between Ethiopian medical schools and Barts and The London
Dr Jonathan Fuller (q Barts, 1974), who is retired from general practice but still involved with teaching at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, established the Ethiopian Medical Education Partnership Project. The EMEPP is a collaboration partnered with Barts and The London to develop medical education projects for the benefit of students on both sides of the partnership and is currently supporting two new medical schools in Aksum, Ethiopia.

More news:

Book now for BATLAA-BLSA Captains and Presidents' Dinner in April
Following an unprecedented amount of interest, this event has been moved to The Charterhouse to enable more alumni to participate. The dinner - to be held on 15 April - will bring together current and former Captains and Presidents of Clubs and Societies at Barts and The London, as well as any other interested alumni. Book now.

Professor Roger Woledge remembered
The late Professor Roger Woledge, muscle physiologist and Visiting Professor in the Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, was at the forefront of the major movements in muscle energetics research from the 1960s until his death. A memorial meeting is planned for 22 April.

Charity run by alumna organises seminar dedicated to music for dementia
Mindsong - Music for Dementia, led by Dr Anthea Holland (q The London, 1972), has organised a 'Meaningful Music Seminar' on 15 April at Gloucester Cathedral to bring together clinicians and musicians to explore and celebrate how and why music works. More information

QMA/BLC survey for international Alumni
If you are based overseas and haven’t yet completed our survey about receiving QMA/BLC alumni magazine, please do so. Let us know whether you would prefer to receive your copy by post or by email and you could win a £100 Amazon voucher.

Supporting our work

Spot the difference
We don't know what the future will bring, but it's getting harder and harder for young people to make their way in life. A gift in your Will is your chance to help others far into the future. When you make or update your Will, please consider including a gift to the university alongside your provisions for your family - one act of kindness now can change lives forever. Request a legacy pack or let us know about your plans. 

Time for a change?
Did your time here change your prospects? Open new doors? That’s certainly the case for students like Benedicta, whose family was homeless when she was growing up, and who was told by a careers adviser that she’d never be a doctor because of her background. Thanks to gifts from kind people like you, she’s been supported through her course and her prospects are looking very different.

You can be part of this drama, changing life stories for the better. All you have to do is make a gift to the Annual Fund. Just £33 a month made a difference to Mohzma: "I couldn’t afford the tube fare to college and I couldn’t concentrate on my exams - all I could think about was how to make ends meet. I’d really like to thank you for turning things around for me."

If £33 a month isn’t right for you, how about £22 or £11? Or £5.50? Any amount will help us help more students. Be part of the change today -  please support our students now.

More ways to get involved:

Are you a recent graduate in Malaysia? 
If you qualified up to three years ago, you can play an important role in supporting Malaysian medical and dental students...

Review the Barts and The London undergraduate MBBS Curriculum

The School of Medicine and Dentistry undertakes a periodical review of the MBBS programme to address the future needs of the profession, taking into account patient needs and expectations, technological advances and changing regulatory considerations. Interested alumni are encouraged to participate...

Get involved with the QMUL Community Festival
QMUL will be holding its first large-scale community focused festival from 21 May - 4 June 2016 in and around Mile End. The event is open to all, including alumni. Find out more about how you can get involved as a volunteer

Forthcoming events

 


Bespoke reunions

For information about any of the above events, email batlaa@qmul.ac.uk.

And finally...

Celebrating International Women’s Day, 8 March
Take a look at some of the pioneering women who helped shape Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

This year's Annual Clinical Meeting for dental alumni a great success
Over 220 people attended The London Hospital Dental Club Annual Clinical Meeting - our annual event for alumni, staff and current students of the School of Dentistry - on Friday 26 - Saturday 27 February. 

The programme of expert speakers was curated by Dr Phil Taylor, Clinical Director for Dentistry in the School. Guests enjoyed the opportunity to network with new and existing contacts and were very complimentary about the range and quality of the presentations.

A full review will feature in the next issue of the LHDC e-Newsletter. The dates for the 2017 Meeting are 25 - 26 February 2017.

 

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