Annual Lecture and Showcase Success

The Usher Institute's Annual Lecture and Showcase was a resounding success with a packed attendance inside the magnificent McEwan Hall and others participating online. It truly was a fantastic day, made possible by our amazing speakers, presenters and audiences, which included colleagues from across the NHS, Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, as well as members of the wider public. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day.  

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Lecture

In her talk titled "Zeno’s Paradoxes and Pandemic Preparedness", Professor Susan Hopkins emphasised the need to sustain collaborative efforts developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing their effectiveness in addressing health crises like Monkeypox and severe hepatitis in children in 2022. She utilised Zeno's paradoxes to explore readiness for future pandemics, stressing cooperation among UK public health agencies and academic groups. Paul Johnston, Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland, responded with his insights and reflections, underscoring the significance of Professor Hopkin’s message and its relevance to the ongoing efforts in public health.

Showcase presentations

The lecture was complemented by short showcase presentations to highlight work from across the Usher Institute, presented by: Dr Gwenetta Curry discussing racial and ethnicity inequalities in the UK and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Harish Nair setting research priorities for global pandemic preparedness, Dr Katie Atkins discussing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the potential role of vaccines in reducing AMR burden, and Professor Alasdair MacLullich on caring for older people in a pandemic.

Showcase display and poster competition

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The showcase display at the event included a number of stalls offering a summary of some of our key programmes and activities, along with a selection of academic posters from across the Usher Institute. A highlight of the event was the poster competition, with five shortlisted participants (Danica Du, Konstantin Georgiev, Jurgis Kuliesius, Dr Holly Tibble and Cecilia Prieto Bravo) presenting their work to both Professor Susan Hopkins and Professor Linda Bauld. Congratulations goes to Jurgis for securing the first-place position with his poster entitled “Proteomic GWAS of 1790 largely unstudied proteins unveils novel actionable targets”. Thanks to Dr Katie Atkins and Professor Miguel O Bernabeu for assisting with the poster competition.

Further information

Watch the lecture and presentations again, access display stall details and view posters from our dedicated event website.

Visit the Annual Lecture website