Training the next generation of paediatric researchers

Paediatric researchers from across the UK came together for a special training weekend hosted by the NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) earlier this month.The event, which attracted delegates from across the UK, provided academic trainees working with children and young people the chance to develop their research skills and career.

Attendees from a range of backgrounds including medicine, dentistry, psychiatry, nursing, allied health and academia took part in a variety of talks, interactive workshops and networking sessions over the two day training course. High profile speakers included Professor Anne Ridley, Head of School for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol; Professor Fiona Watt, Executive Chair of the MRC; and a keynote lecture from Professor David Edwards Consultant Neonatologist at Kings College London. Both Professor Watt and Edwards also hold positions at the Guy's and St Thomas' BRC.

The first day consisted of short talks covering the entire translational research pathway from basic science through to clinical trials, and from public health to big data, as well as a group workshop session where attendees developed a research question into a project proposal. The theme for day two was team science where the group explored the relevance of collaboration to translational research drawing on recommendations made from the recent Academy of Medical Sciences report on the impact of team science on individual biomedical researchers careers. The training course also provided a great opportunity to network with fellow clinical trainees and academic leaders in child health.

One attendee, Armaana Ahmad, Academic Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Dentistry at University College London Hospital's Eastman Dental Hospital, said:

This event, which runs every two years, was part of the NIHR GOSH BRC’s Experimental Medicine Academy programme, which aims to support the education and training of nurses, allied health professionals, PhD students and fellows as they develop into future academic and clinical leaders.