On New Year's Eve I took my family up 'The Shard,' London's newest and tallest landmark. As we looked Eastwards a squall was readying itself over the North Downs; the latest in a succession of storms to batter our shores over the past few weeks. Low-flying clouds threatened to swallow us whole. The wind roared around … Continue reading Even pharma must understand the perils of Schwanning about in a storm
The Times
Flying in the face of an interregnum
As a self-confessed member of the worried well, I ask that people think carefully before they throw strange words at me. Particularly on the day of a regular visit to my 'prescription-happy' doctor. A colleague asked me this morning how my interregnum was going. It sent me into a momentary panic. Is it treatable I … Continue reading Flying in the face of an interregnum
Times Letter on Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF)
A brief but important mention of the letter in today's Times signed by over 100 cancer scientists and doctors. The letter cites Breast Cancer Campaign (an AMRC member) and highlights the importance of the Government-backed Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) to the funding of research in universities by medical research charities. If you want a succinct but well-articulated case for … Continue reading Times Letter on Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF)
Science in a near miss with Cable but flies on…to Birmingham and China perhaps
I feel I must dedicate this blog to the gentleman who posted an online comment in response to my letter in The Times yesterday, saying it caused him 'metaphor indigestion.' I could almost hear the indefatigable voice of my English teacher, the late Brian Mitchell, behind every word.* So....like the Red Arrows at one of … Continue reading Science in a near miss with Cable but flies on…to Birmingham and China perhaps
Science Minister Speaks
The new Science Minister, David Willetts MP, gave his first press briefing at the Science Media Centre yesterday. His comments have been reported in a number of places including the BBC. But Mark Henderson's blog at The Times is the most detailed. The Minister seems to have handled the funding question in the only … Continue reading Science Minister Speaks
Everything has changed, nothing has changed
It was only this week it dawned on me that, in our gripping and rapidly daunting state of statelessness, I had entered a self-imposed state of purdah with my blog. For no reason at all. No more... If you are looking for some insight on what a hung parliament will mean for science then you … Continue reading Everything has changed, nothing has changed
Trachea transplants and charities
'..behind every headline there is not just one story but often many stories of howthe science was developed..'
The science base in parliament
Last night saw the annual dinner of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research. The guest speaker was Dr Venki Ramakrishnan. Venki was awarded the the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and gave an incisive and refreshingly down-to-earth summary of the challenges and opportunities faced by UK science. The ensuing discussion was chaired expertly by … Continue reading The science base in parliament
Clinical Trials
A Happy New Year to you all. Given that we are all likely to have to suffer several months of phoney elections wars not to mention the odd leadership coup that isn't I thought it would be refreshing to start the year off with a hard, solid fact. In 2008-2009, AMRC's member charities funded 166 … Continue reading Clinical Trials
Filling the void
It's not like me to blog twice in as many days. However, this is just a short piece you will no doubt be pleased to know. All I wanted to do was alert you to the launch of the 'Research Mental Health' Declaration and campaign yesterday. The initiative is aimed at pushing the need for … Continue reading Filling the void
Simon Denegri's Lay Review 