Members of the MRC/BHF CoRE in Advanced Cardiac Therapies (REACT) gathered in London last week for our first annual symposium.
The meeting built on progress from our first year of operation and showcased the breadth of projects underway across the centre.
Last Thursday, 19 March, REACT hosted a successful first annual symposium, in person at Wellcome Collection, London, and online.
More than 120 staff, students and collaborators based across the UK at our partner organisations gathered to discuss work to date, develop plans for the future, and share experience and expertise.
A busy day of talks, panel discussions and poster presentations allowed our growing community of academics and clinicians to share their work, make connections, and hear about funded projects underway to address our three research challenges and build an inclusive research environment, including the launch of our agreed ways of working.
Guests included members of the REACT Independent Strategic Advisory Board and representatives from the centre's joint funders - UKRI Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation.
A highlight of the day was the keynote by Professor Douglas Mann of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine - incoming chair of the REACT Independent Strategic Advisory Board.
Special mentions are also owed to researchers who topped our audience vote for flash talk and poster prizes:
- Liam McQueen (University of Edinburgh) - Flash talk prize winner
- Gang Li (King's College London) - Flash talk runner up
- Tara McNulty (University of Edinburgh) - Poster prize winner
- Wang Chun Cheung (University of Edinburgh) - Poster runner up
Closing the day's programme, REACT Co-director Professor Paul Riley commented:
"It has been an absolutely terrific day. Thank you very much to our advisory board for being here in person, engaging and introducing themselves. And of course to Doug for his excellent keynote lecture.
We think this is an extremely exciting initiative, and a very vibrant community. We are looking forward to really transforming treatments for heart attack and heart failure. It's a bold ambition, but we have the right people and teams in place to make a very good fist of it."
If you would like to learn more about similar meetings, visit the events page.
With thanks to Nick Willoughby at King's College London for photographs of the day.