Celebrating the Impact of the Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz Memory Fund

Following the unexpected loss of our colleague, Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz in September 2018, a memorial fund was established, supported and managed by GOSH Charity. The third annual report has just been compiled and highlights another year of significant progress. The fund continues to support ground-breaking research and early career development at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH), Great Ormond Street Hospital Clinical Genetics and UCL Ear Institute – the departments where Maria had such a major contribution during her career.

Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz was an admired and widely respected clinical geneticist and paediatrician. She made great contributions to medicine and genetics where she led research towards the treatment of hearing and vision loss. Maria was also a champion of Early Career Researchers where she made extra efforts to support their development and recognise their achievements.

Launched fully in early 2023, the memorial fund supports three main initiatives: the Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz Memorial Lectures, Early Career Researcher (ECR) Awards, and ECR Training and Conference Awards. The work of the fund is overseen by the Maria Bitner-Glindzicz Committee, with Professor John Achermann assuming the role of Chair in 2022, and recently superseded by Dr Dale Bryant.

The Memorial Lecture series has attracted world-leading researchers and clinicians, many of whom had personal connections with Maria and her work. The first Memorial Lecture was delivered by Dr Richard Scott, CEO of Genomics England (“Genomics England: linking healthcare and research to deliver the best for patients”). In the second, Prof Jeff Holt and Dr Gwenaelle Geleoc from Harvard Medical School, Boston discussed “Novel gene therapies for Usher Syndrome and non-syndromic hearing loss” as part of the Inner Ear Biology Conference organised by UCL Ear Institute. The most recent lecture was delivered by a close friend and colleague of Maria’s, Professor Mohnish Suri (Nottingham). Professor Suri’s talk (“Syndrome Assimilation and Disintegration”) drew a large audience of clinical geneticists, reflecting Maria’s enduring influence in the field.

Meanwhile, the ECR Awards continue to reward three winning individuals annually who can demonstrate they are exceptional early-career researchers who have also made important contributions to engagement, citizenship and academic life. Past winners have come from diverse fields including dietetics, data science, and biotechnology—demonstrating the wide-reaching impact of the award. As the Fund develops, prizes will be awarded in an area we know is crucial for GOSH and UCL GOSH ICH: rare and complex disease in children.

To date, 28 Training and Conference Awards—totalling almost £10,000—have supported researchers and PhD students to attend global events. These opportunities have enabled them to share their work, gain feedback, and build valuable collaborations. Awards are also available to allow early-career clinical genetic trainees and genetic counsellors to enhance their skills and expertise, and have supported standalone activities, such as a training workshop in British Sign Language for researchers at the UCL Ear Institute.

The fund continues to deliver on its promise to drive advancements in paediatrics, genetics and hearing biology.

Professor John Achermann said: “The impact of the fund is undeniable, providing early-career researchers with opportunities to develop their careers, present their research, and contribute to the future of paediatric medicine. Looking ahead, we want to build on this momentum with upcoming events, awards, and initiatives. The Maria Bitner-Glindzicz Memory Fund remains a lasting tribute to Maria’s extraordinary contributions to genetics and paediatric healthcare.”